Just Because
by iheartCallieTorres
Summary: AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she has a newborn?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Just Because

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**Back Story: **

Okay, so this is an AU fic, the first one I've written, and I'm a little nervous about it. All the characters are present and are still doctors at SGMW. The only thing different is that Callie and George have a daughter. The timeline is a bit sketchy on this, but so is the timeline on Grey's in general, so I figured it was alright. A little back-story is needed, I guess. So, Callie and George divorced and Callie and Erica became friends. A few weeks later, Callie discovers that she's pregnant. Erica helps her through it as their relationship turns romantic, but Callie still questions her sexuality and Erica leaves before the baby is born. George steps up and is a good father, and he and Callie share custody. Okay? Okay. So this starts shortly before the kiss in the bathroom scene, so… enjoy. : ) And please, please, PLEASE let me know what you think of this. If this idea sucks, be honest. Thanks!

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

"Hey Callie," a voice said from behind me where I stood in the lobby of the hospital. I turned to see my former husband walking up to me as I held the precious cargo in my arms. It was Friday evening and George's weekend with Liliana, our six month old daughter.

"Hey," I said, reluctantly handing my-our-daughter to him. As much as I was grateful he was involved in her life, I still hated letting her go, even if it was only for the weekend. "She's been especially fussy today," I told him, handing over her diaper bag full of diapers, formula and clothing. "I think she may be cutting a tooth, so I put in a few teething rings. Just-"

"Put them in the freezer for a few hours, I know Callie." He held the infant, who recognized her father and smiled, showing off her gums.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. I said my goodbyes, kissing Liliana's tiny head full of curly black peach fuzz before waving sadly as they walked off out into the drizzle. I was about to yell at George to cover her up from the rain when he beat me to it, pulling out a large umbrella. I had to give him credit, he really was a good father, even if he had been a horrible husband.

I sighed heavily and made my way out of the hospital, deciding to drop by Joe's for a well-deserved drink. I never drank alcohol when I was caring for Liliana, but she was with George tonight and I needed something to take my mind off the hellish year I've had. Other than Liliana, nothing had gone right. George had cheated on me with the blonde supermodel, Erica had run off without even saying goodbye and now, I was a single mother with no prospect of ever finding someone to spend my life with.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my Liliana. I can't imagine my life without her, but being a single mother was tough, especially for a fifth year resident.

I sat at the bar in Joe's, nursing my drink as depressing feelings overcame me. I was usually fine when I had Liliana. I could forget about all the negative, harsh realities of my life. But she was with George until Monday, so I was able to focus on the ugly.

I sighed heavily and downed the rest of my drink, indicating to Joe that I wanted another. He set the glass in front of me and gave me a knowing look. "The little angel with her daddy tonight?"

I nodded. "Yep. Keep 'em coming."

Soon after, Lexie Grey walked up to the stool next to me. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked, already sitting.

"No, no," I said, picking up my glass to take another sip. "I'm just… over thinking."

The young intern looked contemplative for a second before turning to me. "You think he'll tell him?"

I knew instantly what she was talking about-Mark and Derek. From our earlier conversation in the OR, I knew Mark was having second thoughts about his relationship with Lexie. I really hoped he didn't so something stupid because he was afraid of telling Derek. It was obvious he cared a great deal about the promising young intern. "If he's not an idiot," I said, my voice a little shaky.

Lexie's brow knit. "Are you okay?" she asked carefully.

I glanced at her. "Um.. Uh… I don't…" I gave up and started to stand. "I'm fine," I said as I made my way to the bathroom to compose myself. I hated breaking down in front of prying eyes and just needed a moment to myself.

I took several deep breaths once I was alone in the bathroom. I ripped a paper towel out of the dispenser and wiped my eyes, careful not to smear my makeup too much. I tossed the paper towel into the trashcan and made one last swipe under my eyes with my fingers as the door to the bathroom opened and I noticed in the reflection of the mirror that a small blond woman had entered the small space.

"Hey," the woman said cheerfully.

"Hey," I replied. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place her face.

"Ortho, right?" the blond asked, stepping forward.

"Yeah, right, hi," I stammered.

"I'm Arizona. Robbins. Peds surgery. I've seen you at the hospital."

I should have known that that's where I'd seen her before. We'd never spoken, but I remembered seeing her in the halls of the hospital.

The blond knit her brow and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine," I said, turning to face her.

"People talk," she said matter-of-factly. "Where we work. They talk. A lot." I gave her a questioning look as she continued. "So, for the sake of being honest, I think I should tell you that I know things about you. Because people talk." She smiled, showing off her dimples.

I felt my heart sink. There was no telling what she'd heard from the gossip mill of the hospital. "Oh," I said in defeat. "You mean…" The blond nodded slightly. "Terrific," I breathed out.

"It is, actually," she insisted. I sat back against the sink, not looking forward to this conversation and crossing my arms. "The talk. People really like you over there. They respect you and they're concerned and interested. They really like you." She paused momentarily. "Some of them _really _like you," she said with slight laugh that was like music to my ears. I nodded slightly, not really believing a word she said. "I just… You look upset and I thought that you should know that the talk is good. And, when you're not upset, when you're over being upset, there will be people lining up for you."

I considered her words for a moment before letting out a small laugh. "You wanna give me some names?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm.

The blond woman that I had just met surprised me when she stepped forward and reached up to cup my cheek as her lips covered my own. I was barely able to register the brief kiss before she stepped back.

"I think you'll know," was all she said before flashing me a broad smile and backing out of the bathroom.

The door closed softly behind the woman and I couldn't keep the stupid grin off my face. Had that really just happened? Had a woman I've never spoken to before five minutes ago, a really beautiful woman, just kiss me out of no where? In a dirty bar bathroom?

I took another moment to compose myself before walking out into the crowded bar. I immediately looked around for a blond head of curls, but didn't see her anywhere. Maybe I had just imagined it all. My brain was just trying to cheer me up by making me hallucinate a gorgeous blonde woman coming on to me. Great.

Somewhat disappointed and now fully convinced my mind was playing tricks on me, I returned to the bar to pay my tab before I left. I pulled out a twenty, more than enough to cover the cost, but Joe shook his head when I tried to give it to him. "Your tab's already been paid," he said.

I gave him a questioning look. "By who?"

He shrugged. "Blond woman. Attractive, average height, piercing blue eyes and killer dimples. Gave a hefty tip, too." He turned to take a patron's order and I felt my heart skip a beat. So I hadn't imagined the whole thing. Arizona Robbins, Peds Surgery, had kissed me in a dirty bar bathroom then taken care of my tab.

What a woman.

[_Arizona's POV_]

I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on the curvy Latina. I'd been at Seattle Grace all of three days working on Jackson Prescott's case with the formidable Dr. Bailey when I'd noticed the gorgeous brunette chatting with the short doctor at the nurses' station. I'd only gotten a quick look before the tall woman had looked at her beeping pager and left. I may have been staring after her as she quickly walked away.

"Hear anything from UNOS?" Dr. Bailey had interrupted my thoughts.

I had turned to face her and shook my head. "I'll have Stevens try calling them again," I had said, placing the chart in my hand on the high countertop in front of me. "Who was that woman you were talking to?"

"Huh? Oh, Callie Torres, Ortho resident. Why?" She had eyed me carefully.

I had felt my cheeks flush slightly and shook my head. "No reason. I just thought I recognized her." It was a lie and Bailey had shot me a look that said she had known that. So I quickly changed the subject to Jackson Prescott.

Normally, I tuned out nurse gossip, but my ears perked up every time they'd heard "Dr. Torres." By the end of that day, I'd learned a lot about the brunette; about her recent relationship struggles and her rockstar surgeon skills, but what had struck me most was how much most of the nurses and staff seemed to respect her and care for her. Once, I'd heard a particularly moody nurse that no one really liked bad mouth the well-loved surgeon, using some discriminatory and homophobic language that had made me, a gay woman, cringe inwardly. Immediately, the woman's colleagues had jumped to defend the surgeon and admonished the nurse's comments, making me grin.

Yes, Dr. Callie Torres (who I also learned her first name was actually Calliope) had made an impression on me before I had even spoken to her.

I'm not usually so forward when it comes to women. Not that I'm shy, but kissing a woman I've never spoken to before in the bathroom in a bar was a bit out there, even for me. I hadn't planned on kissing Calliope; it just happened. She'd looked so upset, and I just wanted her to see that there are people out there that really care for her. Kissing her had been a spur of the moment thing, but I didn't regret it.

Now, I hope that I didn't scared her away. Because with just one kiss, I already knew that I could fall for the gorgeous Latina.

[_Callie's POV_]

It's been a week since Arizona Robbins, Peds Surgery, had kissed me out of nowhere in the bathroom at Joe's. Three days I've been trying to work up the nerve to approach her and ask her out. But every time I saw her and was about to go for it, I chickened out. I don't know why. I mean, _she _kissed _me_, right?

"Just do it," an agitated voice said from behind me as I stood trying to work up the nerve to go over and talk to her.

I turned and glared at Mark. "Do what?"

"Go over and ask her out. You've been tiptoeing around it for three days. Just go!" He pushed me forward gently, giving me the nudge I needed.

Determined, I walked towards the blond Peds surgeon that stood at the nurses station filling out charts. "Hey," I said from behind her, placing my hand on the countertop.

She turned and smiled when she saw me. "Calliope," she said, using my full name which, coming from anyone else, would have me glaring. "I haven't seen you around."

"Yeah, well, I've been avoiding you," I said with a small laugh. "I know it's so weird. You, uh, share a kiss with a woman you've never seen before… Honestly this is… a new adventure, one I'm so ready to take. For the second time and…" I realized that I was rambling, a nervous habit, so I paused to take a deep breath. "Anyway, do you wanna go on a date with me?"

She gave an awkward smile. "Wait, ah, Erica and you… She was your first?"

"Yeah," I said while looking over my shoulder. What did Erica have to do with anything?

"Okay, so I guess my answer is no. I'm sorry."

She turned to walk away, but I quickly reached out and gripped her elbow, bringing her back to face me. "Wait, wait, wait. What?" I asked, thoroughly confused. "Uh, um, you kissed me. Out of nowhere. In a bathroom…" I shot her a questioning look.

"Okay, see this is what I try to avoid. You're all exploring and experimenting and… yay! This is a really exciting time for you. But, I work in Peds. I spend my entire day around newborns, so I try not to in my personal life. Thanks for asking, though. I'm super flattered. Super!"

This time I let her walk away. I stared after her, my mind reeling. Seriously? A newborn? Really? She wouldn't date me just because I've only been with one other woman?

Anger quickly replaced my shock and I stalked away, intent on finding an intern to yell at. Instead, I found Bailey standing at another nurses' station, staring blankly at a piece of paper.

"Newborn," I scoffed "I'm not a newborn. I'm a senior resident, I'm a great surgeon! I'm a divorcee and a single mother for God's sake, right? I'm… I'm uh, looking for your to agree with me here, Bailey," I said, glancing over at the shorter doctor, noticing her own confused expression on her face. "Bailey?"

"The Chief… He wrote me a _form_ letter of recommendation," she said, handing me the piece of paper.

"What?" I said incredulously. "He's the Chief and you're Bailey." I began reading over the letter. "Pleasant in the OR. And enjoyed by the nurses. She has completed a serviceable amount of research…" my voice began to trail. "A fine addition to any program."

"Fine! He used the word 'fine'!" She grabbed the letter from my hand. "A blank page would be more… I pulled off a twelve person domino surgery, I took out and put back six of a dying girls organs. I am Dr. Bailey. I am better than fine!" With that, the angry Dr. Bailey stalked off and I for one was glad that it wasn't me she was angry with.

"At lease he didn't call you a baby," I said to no one and rolled my eyes.

"Who called who a baby?" a voice said from beside me. I looked over, surprised to see Addison.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving this morning," I said.

"Derek needed me," she said. "For a consult," she clarified. "So, who's a baby?"

"Me," I said, rolling my eyes.

Addison raised an elegant red eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

I sighed. "You know the Peds surgeon I told you about? The one with the butterflies on her scrub cap?" Addison nodded. "I asked her out and happened to mention that I've only been with one other woman. She proceeded to turn me down and call me a newborn."

"So, basically, you're not slutty enough for her?" Addison offered.

I had to chuckle at that. "Apparently. I should have gone to Denver with Sadie," I said more to myself than to Addison.

"Denver? Why would you go to Denver?"

I shook my head. "Never mind," I said. "Want to grab lunch?"

Addison nodded and looped her arm through mine as we made our way to the cafeteria. It was nice to have her back, even if it was for only a little while. We grabbed our lunch and sat at an empty table.

"Still like LA?" I asked, biting into a strawberry.

"It's good," Addison replied unconvincingly.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "There's still an opening here for a neonatal attending, you know."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I'm not coming back, Callie."

I shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying. I miss you Addie. I miss having a woman to talk to. I mean, Mark is a good friend and all, but… he gives crappy relationship advice."

She softened at that. "You know you can call me any time you need to."

"I know," I said, pushing the fruit around in the bowl. "It's just not the same." I sat up straighter when I noticed a head of unruly blond hair pulled back into a ponytail enter the cafeteria. "Newborn," I muttered.

"What?"

I looked up at Addison. "See the blond standing at the cashier?" I asked, using my plastic fork to point. Addison nodded. "That's the Peds surgeon."

"The one who called you a baby?"

I nodded and she raised an elegant eyebrow. She started to get up, but I grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"I'm just going to go over there and-"

"No you are not!" I insisted. "I'm a big girl, I don't need you fighting my battles for me, Addison Montgomery."

She sighed, but remained seated. "Well, you should do something," she said.

"Like what? Prove I'm not a newborn?"

"Yes!" she said excitedly. "That's exactly what you should do. Go talk to her and show her that you know what you want. I'm guessing she's afraid she'll just be an experiment, right?"

I shrugged. "I guess."

"So tell her that you aren't just experimenting."

"Addison, I don't know…"

"You like her, right?" Addison asked, serious.

"I guess. I mean, I barely know her."

"Talk to her," Addison insisted.

"Addie-"

"Talk to her!" She stood and pulled me up with her, dragging me towards the blond.

"Addison! Really, I don't know what-" The shrill sound of my pager going off had never been more welcome. I smiled triumphantly at Addison's glare before rushing off to the pit.

[_Arizona's POV_]

I didn't want to turn Calliope down and my heart kept telling me not to, but my head was screaming at me to stay away from the woman still new to dating women. I've been burned one too many times by women that said they wanted to be with me, only to change their mind and decide that they'd rather be with a man.

I tried not to think about the look on Calliope's face when I turned her down, but it was burned into my mind. I hate that I had put it there. She was so beautiful when she smiled.

I sighed as I entered the cafeteria to grab lunch. I paid for my salad and looked around for a familiar face to join for lunch. I haven't been here all that long, so I still felt like the new kid struggling to find a group to eat lunch with.

That's when I saw Calliope sitting with a stunning redhead across the room and I felt my jealousy begin to grow before I checked myself. She's not mine and I'd just turned her down. I had no claim over her. The redhead started to stand before Calliope pulled her back.

I sighed and sat at a table by myself as I discreetly studied the two women, wondering if they were just friends or something more. I watched them exchange words before the redhead stood again, this time pulling Calliope up with her as she took several steps in my general direction.

Suddenly, Calliope stopped the woman and checked her pager before quickly exiting the cafeteria and I found myself wondering what that had all been about.

In a split second, I knew. The redhead planted her hands on her hips as she looked me square in the eye, sending me a glare.

Yep. That had been about me. Perfect.

[_Callie's POV_]

I left the bar, utterly mortified. Damn Addison and her 'brilliant' plan. Just talk to her, she'd insisted. I laughed bitterly as I walked back towards my apartment. George had Liliana again and Cristina was on call at the hospital tonight, so I knew the apartment would be lonely.

"Callie!" a voice called out from behind me. I turned to see Addison running toward me. I was impressed that she was able to move that fast and that gracefully in those killer heels she always wore.

"I so don't like you right now," I said when she'd caught up to me.

"What happened? One minute you were talking to the Peds surgeon while I was giving Bailey her letter of recommendation and the next thing I know, you're practically running out of the bar."

"She was on a date," I replied miserably. I started walking towards my building again, Addison following me.

"A date? Really?" She started to laugh, but she instantly quieted when I shot her a glare. "Sorry, not funny," she said, holding up both hands in front of her in an 'I surrender' gesture.

"I'm mortified!" I practically screamed as we trudged up the stairs to the third floor apartment I shared with Cristina. After Liliana had been born, I'd assumed Cristina wouldn't want to live in the same apartment with a child and would either move out or ask me to move out, but she'd surprised me. She actually liked Liliana and seemed to have a natural bond with my daughter, thought she'd never willingly admit it. Instead, we'd leased a different apartment down the hall that had three bedrooms. Cristina swore it was because she loved living in this building that was so close to the hospital and couldn't afford rent if she lived alone, but I knew that was a lie. I let her pretend, though. She is Cristina, after all.

"And it's all your fault," I muttered, jamming my key into the lock.

"Me?" Addison called after me. "What did I do?"

"'Just talk to her, Callie. Prove you're not a newborn.'" I unlocked my apartment door and stepped inside, allowing Addison to enter before closing the door behind us. I took a deep breath. "Sorry," I said. "I'm just frustrated."

"I know," Addison said. "Apparently Mark isn't the only one to give bad relationship advice."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"And really, why are you listening to me about relationships?" Addison continued.

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know," I said with a grin. If there was ever anyone who I could count on to cheer me up, it was Addison. "When are you going back to LA?" I asked.

Addison checked her watch. "Actually, I need get to the airport. My flight leaves in a little over an hour. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

I sighed. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Go catch your plane." We hugged before she walked to the door.

"You know you can visit me in LA anytime, right? Both you and Liliana."

I smiled. "I may take you up on that."

"Give that precious baby a kiss for me, alright?"

"Thanks, Addie. For everything."

[_Arizona's POV_]

Once again I was responsible for taking away Calliope's beautiful smile and I felt horrible. I'd only agreed to go on a date with Julie to humor my friend that was trying desperately to set me up with someone. I probably wouldn't have agreed if I hadn't been trying, unsuccessfully, to keep my mind off the curvy Latina.

After Calliope left, I turned back to Julie and attempted to make conversation with her. She was a nice enough girl but we didn't have much in common other than the fact that we worked with children. She was a kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school.

I found my mind wandering to Calliope as I stood there. I tried to focus on Julie, I really did, but I just couldn't concentration on what she was saying.

"So, are you going to tell me who that was?" Julie asked as she sipped her drink.

"I, what?" I asked, having not fully heard the question.

"The gorgeous brunette that came over here a few minutes ago. She seemed eager to talk to you, then when you introduced me as your date, she just walked away. Who is she?"

Julie's questions were filled with humor rather than jealousy, which made me relax a little. "It's a long story," I murmured, not really wanting to discuss this topic with the woman I was supposed to be on a date with.

"I'm not busy," she said with a smile. "And I think we both know that we'll only ever be friends."

She was right about that. I sighed and placed my now empty glass on the bar. "Long story short, she's a surgeon at Seattle Grace as well and I kissed her one evening, then she asked me out but I had to turn her down."

"Why?" Julie asked, a confused look on her face.

I sighed again. "She happened to mention that she's only been with one woman and I've had bad experiences with women who say they want to be with me, only to leave me for a man."

"You don't want to be an experiment," Julie said.

I nodded.

"But you obviously like her," she hedged.

I shrugged.

"And she did approach you earlier and give you all these reasons as to how she's not as inexperienced as you think she is. I mean, the Peace Corps? That's hot."

I had to chuckle at her last statement. And I agreed. That was pretty hot.

Our "date" didn't last much longer. We said our goodbyes and I left the bar, her words echoing in my head. I wanted to believe that Calliope was actually interested in me and not the thrill of being with a woman, but I had to protect my heart. I refused to be a victim once again.

* * *

A/N: I know that this first part just recapped a lot of what actually happened on the show, but I needed to include all of it to build the story up. Once Arizona finds out that Callie is a mother, the story will be much different than what we've seen on Grey's. I hope you enjoyed this so far. : )


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Just Because (2/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I quickly ducked behind Mark as a blonde head rounded the corner.

"What, what are you doing?" Mark questioned.

"Shhh!"

I peaked over his shoulder as Arizona practically skipped out of my sight and I sighed. "I went all say anything on the Peds surgeon in front of the Peds surgeon's date, so I am hiding from the Peds surgeon," I explained dryly.

"Hmm, mature," Mark quipped.

I glared at him. "Um, you got in a fist fight. No judging." I left my supposed best friend standing there with his injured hand as I walked down the hall, taking a quick peak down the hallway that Arizona had disappeared down before rushing past. I could already tell that this was going to be a long day.

And I was right. I was already scheduled for three surgeries, one of which the guy kept coding on the table. Luckily, they all pulled through and were well on their way to recovery, but I was still exhausted by the end of my shift. The day had been endlessly long and all I wanted to do was go home and spend time with my daughter. After changing out of my scrubs and putting on my leather jacket, I walked out of the residents' locker room towards the elevator.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor where the daycare was located, thankful for a few minutes alone.

Or not. Someone stopped the elevator doors from closing at the last second. I inhaled sharply and rolled my eyes slightly when I saw that it was Arizona. She just smiled as she pressed the button for the ground floor and stood next to me, crossing her arms.

"So, I've had quite a day," Arizona said with a melodic voice that sent chills down my spine despite her earlier rejection of me. "Got my ass handed to me by Alex Karev, a second year resident, which is humbling, for a surgeon. Especially for a type-A, know-it-all-"

"We don't have to do this," I interjected, really not up for being cordial. "We don't have to be friends. It's a big hospital, lots of floors, lots of places to hide. And I'm perfectly okay with doing that for the next few years."

"You're not hearing me, Calliope," she said, using my full name again and I couldn't bring myself to hate it rolling off her tongue as I did when anyone else used it. I looked at her in confusion. "Sometimes, I panic in the moment and I call it wrong. I misjudge a situation. So, if you're up for it, I'd like to take you to dinner."

She looked at me expectantly as the elevator stopped on the third floor with a bing. I shrugged, trying my best to look nonchalant. "Maybe," I said, exiting the elevator.

"Maybe?" she repeated, a hint of incredulity in her voice.

I turned back to her, noting the adorable look of confusion on her face. "Yeah," I said. "My schedule's kind of insane right now, so I'll, uh, get back to you." I started to walk away as the elevator doors closed. At the last second, I stopped the doors with my arm.

"How's, uh, tomorrow?" I asked with a grin. She smiled and laughed a bit as the doors moved to close again and I took that as a yes.

I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I walked towards the daycare to pick up Liliana and as we exited the building. I entered the apartment and rolled my eyes at the sight before me. Cristina sat on the floor in front of the couch, several medical books and journals spread out in front of her on the coffee table as she furiously highlighted passages.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I set my purse and the diaper bag down on a chair.

"Researching stage four melanoma," Cristina murmured, still reading and highlighting.

"Why? I thought you were cardio-obsessed." She just ignored me and I shook my head, heading to Liliana's room to put her down for the night.

I returned to the living room half an hour later after giving Liliana her bath and rocking her to sleep. Cristina still sat researching. "Hey, are you on call tomorrow evening?" I asked, grabbing a bottled water from the refrigerator.

"Hmm, what?" Cristina asked, finally looking up.

"Are you on call tomorrow evening?" I repeated.

"Oh, yeah. Until 6am. Why?"

I rounded the high counter top separating the kitchen from the living room, contemplating whether I should tell her the truth or not. I wasn't ashamed that I was going on a date with a woman, but I knew that Cristina would ask questions, which I really didn't feel like answering right now. "Um, I have a date," I muttered, attempting to sneak off to my room.

"Hold it!" Cristina exclaimed. "A date? With who? Uh, not that I really care, or anything."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure," I said. "Good night, Cristina." I closed the door behind me, grinning when I heard Cristina yell out at me again. I just ignored her as I got ready for bed, all the while thinking of a certain perky Peds surgeon that had now fully infiltrated my mind. I knew I was going to dream of her tonight.

[_Ariozna's POV_]

I smiled broadly when I saw Calliope sitting in the doctor's lounge reading over a medical journal. She hadn't noticed me enter the room, so I took a moment to study her. She was sitting on the couch, feet propped on a coffee table as she balanced the journal in her lap and held a large cup of what I assumed was coffee in her hand. Her raven black hair was loose and wavy, making me want to run my hand through it.

I cleared my throat and she looked up, startled.

"Hey," I said, entering the room further, allowing the door to close behind me.

"Hey," she replied with a smile and I felt my heart melt. I sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"Watcha reading?" I asked with a grin. She held up the journal. It was _The American Journal of Orthopedics_. "Anything good?"

She shrugged and tossed the journal aside. "Not really," she said, lowering her feet to the floor and sitting up. "How's your day been?"

"Boring," I answered. "But it's getting better." I smiled. "We still on for tonight?"

She returned my smile and nodded. "Definitely. When and where?"

"My shift ends at five," I said. "Yours?"

"Six," she replied.

"How about we meet in the lobby at seven?"

"Sounds great," she said.

"Super!" I said excitedly. "I hope you like Italian?"

"Love it," Calliope said, smacking her lips.

"Awesome!" I said just as her pager went off. She made a face and stood.

"I have to go," she said. I nodded and stood. "See you at seven?" she asked as she started to walk by me.

I nodded and couldn't stop myself from getting a sneak peek of tonight's date. I turned her towards me and went up on tip-toe to allow my lips to brush against hers in the lightest touch. "Seven," I whispered against her lips before backing away and smiling.

She grinned and gave me one last look before she left the room.

I looked at my watch. Only 8 hours and 29 minutes until 7:00. I hope I don't go insane before then.

[_Callie's POV_]

I arrived in the lobby at six fifty-five to find Arizona already waiting for me. She was wearing a deep blue dress that fell several inches above her knees and black high heels that had me gawking at her legs. She had amazing legs.

I had chosen a maroon colored dress in a style very similar to hers, only it was three-quarter sleeved rather than sleeveless.

She smiled when she saw me, then gave me a questioning look when she saw Liliana in my arms. I'd arranged earlier for George to meet in the lobby at seven to take her for the night.

I offered a small smile. "Sorry," I said. "Her dad should be here any minute to pick her up."

She smiled back. "That's alright. May I?" She held out her arms in the classic 'can I hold her' gesture.

"Sure," I said, handing her my six month old daughter.

"Oh, she's precious," Arizona said, holding her like a pro, which I guess, technically, she is. "What's her name?"

"Liliana," I answered, smiling at the sight of Arizona holding my baby girl.

"She looks like you. Is she your niece or something?"

I knit my eyebrows and let out a small laugh. "No she's-"

"Callie!" George said as he ran up to me, slightly out of breath. "Sorry. I just got out of surgery."

"It's alright," I said, handing him the diaper bag. Arizona shifted Liliana into his arms. "Call my cell if you need to," I said as I kissed Liliana's head in my traditional good bye gesture.

Arizona and I walked out into the cold night air, making our way quickly to the parking lot where her car was parked. Our hands automatically found one another, making me smile.

"Milady," Arizona said as she opened the passenger door to her SUV.

I chuckled. "How chivalrous," I said as I climbed into the seat. She grinned, closed the door and rounded the hood of the car to get into the driver's side.

"I forgot to ask where we're going," I said as she started the car.

"This little place that I just happened to find the other day downtown. They have the most delicious Chicken Marsala."

"Carlina's?" I asked, knowing the restaurant well.

"Yeah, you've been there?" Arizona asked as she navigated the busy streets.

"Several times. It's one of my favorites."

"Great!" Arizona said excitedly and I couldn't help but smiled at her enthusiasm. She was like a little kid at heart. I loved it.

"So, you never told me about that precious baby you were holding. Not your niece?" We'd made it to the restaurant and had been seated. The waiter had taken our orders and brought our drinks and we'd been chatting easily for the past several minutes.

I chuckled again. "No. My daughter."

I've never seen someone's expression change so many times in such a short amount of time. It went from peacefully content to shock to disbelief to confusion to something I feared was panic. Worry overcame me and I felt myself begin to panic. "You didn't know I had a daughter?"

Arizona shook her head and took a sip of her wine. Then another sip. Then another.

I was about to say something when the waiter brought our food to the table. I wanted to say something as soon as he'd left, but Arizona had immediately dug into her pasta, so I decided to wait.

The thought had never even crossed my mind that my being a mother would be something that would throw her off. I mean, she works in Peds. She'd great with kids and obviously loves them. I'd never considered the idea that she wouldn't date someone who had a child. I couldn't even believe she hadn't known that I'm a mother.

I noticed the change in our conversations throughout the rest of the date. She was still polite and perky, but her smile didn't reach her eyes anymore. The knot in my stomach grew even heavier when, after dinner, I suggested that we take a walk in the park and she turned me down, claiming that she had a big surgery in the morning that she had to prepare for. I didn't point out that she'd told me earlier that her shift didn't begin until noon the next day.

The ride back to my apartment building was seemingly endless and filled with overpowering tension. A far cry from the easygoing conversation that had flowed before Arizona had found out about Liliana.

I sighed as she pulled up outside my building and turned to face her. "So, are we going to talk about it?"

"About what?" Arizona said transparently.

"You had no idea that I was a mother and for some reason it bothers you," I said bluntly.

"I… I work with kids all day," she said, staring straight ahead. "I never wanted kids of my own, and… and I just can't date someone with children." Her voice was low, but steady.

I swallowed painfully against the lump that had formed in my throat. "First you wouldn't go out with me because I was a 'newborn,' and now you won't because I have a newborn? Is that what you're saying?" My sadness was quickly turning to anger. What kind of sick game was she playing with me?

"I'm sorry," was all she said.

I shook my head in disgust. "I don't need this crap," I said more to myself than to her. "I'm too old to be playing these games." I shoved open the door and stepped out of the vehicle before slamming the door shut. I stalked into my building without looking back, intent on forgetting tonight never happened and that I had ever even met Arizona Robbins, Peds Surgery.

[_Arizona's POV_]

As soon as Calliope entered her building, I slumped over my steering wheel and felt the tears finally escape down my cheeks. I felt awful, once again, for hurting a wonderful woman that deserved nothing but happiness.

How had I not heard that she was a mother? That she had a beautiful baby girl? How had that tiny but ever so important piece of information not been passed along to me amidst the gossip?

I angrily dried my eyes and composed myself before driving away towards my apartment across town.

Children. Babies. Parenting. Those words kept scrolling through my head as I drove along the busy streets of Seattle. I do love kids. I'm a Pediatric Surgeon, after all. But I've never had the desire to be a mother. At first, I'd thought something was wrong with me.

Growing up, when all my friends had pretended that their dolls where their own children, I would pretend I was a doctor healing a sick baby. It seemed that I'd always been destined to be a Pediatric Surgeon. Not a mother.

It had taken years to realize that there was nothing wrong with me. Some people just didn't want kids and I was one of those people. I never thought that I'd make a good mother. I'm too selfish. That I discovered the one and only time I dated a woman with a child. Liz and I were together for nearly a year before the frustration of always coming in second to a tiny human was too much for me to handle. I understand why I always came in second. That's how it was supposed to be. But that didn't mean that I liked it. It had broken my heart when I'd finally had enough and decided to break it off with Liz, but I wasn't about to give her the ultimatum of me or her son. She'd have chosen her son, as she should have. I had refused to give that ultimatum, so I had walked away on my own.

And I had sworn to myself that I'd never put myself in that situation again. It wouldn't be fair to me or Calliope.

Yeah, I love kids. But I'm just not mother material. So it was better to break it off with Calliope now rather than later. As hurt and upset as she is now, it would only be worse if I waited longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Just Because (3/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

"So what happened with you and Blondie last night?" Mark asked slyly as he joined me at the table where I sat eating my sad lunch alone.

I shot him a glare. "I'm eating lunch by myself while she's across the room sitting with a group of people and laughing. How do you think it went?" I knew I shouldn't be taking my anger out on Mark, but he was an easy target at the moment and I know he wouldn't take offence.

His sly grin quickly turned into an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Cal. What happened?"

I shrugged. "Apparently she hadn't gotten word that I have a daughter and she doesn't date women with children."

Mark looked confused. "What? Why? She's in Peds."

"Thank you!" I said, throwing my hands into the air. "That's what I said. But, whatever. I can't think about this now. I have to prep for a surgery." I stood and grabbed my tray.

"Hey, it's her loss," Mark said as I started to walk away. "You and that baby are an amazing duo that she's losing out on. Don't forget that."

I smiled at him. He may be a manwhore, but he had his moments of sentiment. "Thanks," I said. "You're a good friend."

"Don't let that get around; I have a reputation to protect!" he called after me as I left the cafeteria.

After a grueling 9 hour surgery, I was exhausted. I was on-call through the night, so George took Liliana and I headed for an on-call room to try and get some sleep. I'd just sat down on the edge of the bed to take off my shoes when the door opened and someone ran into the room, quickly shutting the door behind them. I looked up and was surprised to see Arizona standing there looking just as surprised to see me.

"Oh, I, ah, didn't know anyone was in here," she said softly. "I'll just go." She opened the door and peeked out, only to shut it again quickly. "In a minute."

I gave her a questioning look, but shrugged. It wasn't any of my business.

"I'm hiding from the Chief," Arizona said. "He keeps trying to convince me that Bailey needs to stay in general surgery."

I shrugged again. "Whatever." I pulled back the covers and crawled under them just as there was a knock on the door.

"Dr. Robbins, I know you're in there," the commanding voice of Chief Webber came from the other side of the door. "I have something I want to discuss with you."

Arizona shot me a pleading look, but I ignored it. It was her problem.

"Uh, I'm trying to sleep," Arizona said, quickly moving to another bed and toeing off her Heelys. God, the number of bones I have to fix because of those stupid things. Liliana will never own a pair, that's for damn sure.

"I just saw you go in there, Dr. Robbins," Chief Webber said.

Arizona quickly crawled under the covers in her own bed. I couldn't help but be a little amused by the situation, but I didn't my best not to show it.

The door opened and I pretended to be asleep. Maybe if the Chief believed that I was asleep, he'd insist on talking to Arizona elsewhere and she'd leave. That, however, would not be the case.

"Are you really trying to get some sleep? Or just avoiding me?"

"Sleep, sir," Arizona insisted. "I've been here since three this morning." "My office. Nine AM." He turned to leave the room. "And you better go to sleep, Dr. Robbins." With that, the door closed and we were left alone in the room. I sighed softly and contemplated finding another on-call room to fall asleep in, but that would require moving. I was just too exhausted. "He's so grouchy," Arizona said from her bed. I ignored her. I figured that since she worked with kids all, she'd understand the silent treatment.

[_Arizona's POV_]

As I lay on the tiny bed I couldn't stop my mind from wandering to the woman lying less than ten feet away from me. It hadn't even been a full day since the not-so-super ending to our date, but I was already tired of pretending to be okay with the way it ended.

Granted, it had barely begun before it ended, but I've never felt so connected to someone in such a short period of time before. Hell, I'd felt connected to her before we'd officially met. I sighed and sat up, unable to even try and sleep. I knew it would be useless to try with her so close. I was about to say something when my pager sounded, making me jump slightly.I reached for the offending object and hurried out of the room when I saw that it was an incoming trauma. I was thankful to have an excuse to get out of the room, afraid that I'd do or say something that I'd later regret. Like how I still wanted to be with her even though she had a baby. How I still wanted to kiss her and make better use of this on-call room with her. But all of that would lead only to heartache.

I shook my head as I rode the elevator down to the ER in order to clear my head. I couldn't be thinking about Calliope Torres right now.

"I was paged?" I asked Bailey, who was overseeing the pit today.

"Trauma room two," she directed me.

"What do we got?" I asked as I entered the trauma room to find an unconscious teenaged girl with multiple injuries.

"Cassie Adams, thirteen-year-old female whose father decided to use her as a punching bag," Owen Hunt explained and read off her stats. "She has multiple rib fractures and possible head and neck trauma. Possible fracture to her left femur and several lacerations that require sutures. We need a CT to check for possible internal injuries."

These cases, the ones involving child abuse, were some of the most difficult to work on. I listened to the girl's heartbeat, which was weak. Not a good sign. Next, I checked her left leg, where a deep purple bruise was already forming. "Page ortho, stat," I said to a nurse. I knew Calliope was probably the only available ortho surgeon on call at the moment, but we were both professionals and it appeared that Cassie was bleeding out into her left femur, which would require immediate surgery. And Calliope, I've heard, was the best ortho resident this hospital had ever seen. Cassie would be in good hands.

[_Callie's POV_]

I sighed in relief when Arizona left the room. Maybe now I could actually get some sleep. It had been impossible to clear my head long enough to fall asleep while she was in the room and I could smell her subtle perfume. I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes in attempt to sleep. Not five minutes later, I heard the unwelcome buzz of my pager.

"Argh!" I cried out, punching my pillow. I rolled over and grabbed the offending pager, immediately silencing it. I looked at the screen and groaned. 911 from the pit. Was it too much to ask to be able to get a few hours of sleep?

I threw off the covers and quickly put on my shoes before making my way quickly to the ER.

"Torres!" Owen Hunt called to me as he and Arizona wheeled a battered teenaged girl out of a trauma room. "Thirteen-year-old female. Bleeding out from a fracture to her left femur. On our way to OR three."

I nodded and took the chart a nurse handed to me as I followed them down the hallway towards the surgical elevators. It briefly crossed my mind that I would be working closely with Arizona, but I quickly wiped that thought out of my head. To be at my professional best, I couldn't think about my personal life. I was good at not allowing my personal life to interfere with my job. At least while I'm performing surgery, I am. When I'm in that OR room, nothing from the outside world matters. It's just me and my scalpel.

I repaired Cassie's femur as Arizona and Owen repaired her other injuries. The surgery was going smoothly until she started coding.

"Charge to 360!" Owen yelled and placed the paddles on the girl's chest. "Clear!" Nothing. He tried over and over again, but still there was nothing.

"Time of death, fourteen fifty-one," Owen finally said in defeat as he replaced the paddles on the base.

I hated losing patients. Every single time, it got to me. But even more so with children. I have no idea how people who work in Peds, like Arizona, did it every day. I glanced over at Arizona and noticed her slumped shoulders as she put down her surgical tools. I could tell she was struggling as she backed away from the table and tore off her gloves and mask before heading to the scrub room to scrub out.

"Go ahead," Owen said to me as he noticed me watching Arizona with concern. "I got this."

I nodded and took off my own gloves and mask before joining Arizona in the scrub room. She was standing in front of the sink, her hands resting on the edge as she started through the plate glass window where Owen and the others were cleaning up. I didn't know what to do or say. It was obvious she was upset and I didn't blame her, but I was at a giant loss.

I settled for stepping up to the sink next to her and mimicking her actions. "How do you do it?" I asked softly after a few minutes.

That seemed to bring her out of her trance and she glanced over to me. "Do what?" she asked.

"Work with kids all day, every day? How do you get over seeing them slip away right in front of you?"

"You never get over it," she said after another long silence. "But you have to move forward to the next kid because they need you just as much." With that, she left the room and I was left standing there, taking in her comment. I'd just seen a new side to Arizona Robbins, Peds Surgery. A vulnerable side that made it nearly impossible for me to still be angry at her.

I took one last look at the lifeless figure laying on the surgical table and sighed heavily. There was so much more to Arizona Robbins than what I knew and it was really messing with my emotions. I wanted to be angry that she turned me down because I'm a mother, but I also wanted to find her and make sure she was alright.

The nurturing side of me, which had only been intensified since Liliana was born, won and I exited the scrub room, looking for a bright pink scrub cap. When I didn't see her, I headed towards the basement. One day during lunch, before she'd found out about Liliana, Arizona had mentioned that she sometimes went to the basement after a difficult surgery to try and clear her head. I'd laughed when I had discovered she went to the same part of the basement that I used to call home.

I rounded the corner and saw her sitting on an abandoned cot with her back to the wall, head resting against the wall, eyes closed.

I studied her for a moment, my heart clenching at the obvious turmoil she was dealing with. When she took a shuddering deep breath, I made my presence known by making my way slowly towards the cot and clearing my throat. I hope I wouldn't regret this later.

[_Arizona's POV_]

I jumped when someone cleared their throat. I'd thought I was alone here. That's why I liked it. It was quiet and there was never anyone here. No one would bother me while I worked out my frustrations of a bad day or just wanted to cry for a minute.

I jerked my eyes open and my gaze met the chocolate brown eyes of Calliope.

"Hey," she said tentatively.

"Hey," I repeated, surprised she'd come after me. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I honestly don't know." She indicated the spot next to me and I nodded. She sat on the edge of the cot and looked down at her hands, which she was busy wringing together in what I guessed was a nervous habit. "I just wanted to see if you were alright," she said after a moment. "You seemed upset when you left the scrub room."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I felt the knot in my throat grow and the tears threaten, but the last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of Calliope. Strong, independent, kind Calliope.

I wasn't normally so emotional when losing a patient. Sure, I always felt pretty horrible after a child died on my table, but with all the emotions I've been feeling the past twenty-four hours, I was at my breaking point.

"Hey, it's okay," Calliope said as she slid back on the cot. I stiffened when she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. But her soft words of comfort got the better of me and I couldn't hold onto the tears any longer. I relaxed in her arms and buried my face in her neck as the sobs wracked my body. I don't like losing it in front of people, especially those I hardly know, but it was different with Calliope. I'm not sure why, but it was.

After my sobs had quieted, I reluctantly pulled back, wiping my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I said.

"It's alright," Calliope said, wiping her own tears from her eyes. "Losing a patient is always hard."

"Yes, it is," I said. "But that's not why I'm crying. It's part of it, but not everything." She looked confused, so I tried to explain it to her. "I've been such a bitch," I started. She tried to protest, but I stopped her. "No, I have. First I turned you down and called you a newborn and then I rejected you when I discovered that you're a mother. A wonderful mother, I hear. I'm sorry about all that and I haven't changed my mind, but I wasn't exactly nice in the way I went about it. And yet, here you are, making sure that I'm alright because you were worried about me? I'm such a bitch."

"Stop saying that," Calliope said. "Okay, sure, I wasn't exactly thrilled at being called a newborn or being turned down because I happen to have a newborn, but you're not a bitch. A bitch would have left me stranded at the restaurant with the bill and talked bad about me behind my back. I'm the one that was acting like a bitch when I acted like a six-year-old and gave you the silent treatment."

I laughed slightly at that. "You could never be a bitch, Calliope."

She smiled softly. "No one but my father calls me that, you know."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll stop." I figured I no longer had the right to call her Calliope.

She shook her head. "It's alright. I like it when you call me that."

I grinned and noticed how close we were. Her arm was still wrapped around my shoulders and I hadn't noticed before, but my hand was resting lightly on her thigh, just above her knee. I knew it was wrong, but I found myself gravitating towards her. She leaned in slightly until our lip were mere millimeters apart.

"We, ah, should get back to work," Calliope whispered, her breath moving across my lips, causing me to shiver.

"Uh, huh," I replied, moving ever so slightly closer.

"The sick people may need us," she said.

"That's what our pagers are for." I finally closed the gap between us and our lips connected. We both groaned into the kiss and out lips parted of their own accord.

This kiss was not the shy, tentative first kiss we shared in the bathroom at Joe's. Nor was it the light, airy kiss we shared the previous day in the lounge. No, it was hot and steamy. Explorative with our tongues meeting for the first time and our hands tangling in each other's hair. I held her to me as we battled for control of the kiss.

She groaned into my mouth as I began to press her back against the cot. I knew we had to stop before things spun out of control, but I couldn't. I've never felt this way before for anyone. With one kiss, my brain ceased to control my actions. Rather, my heart led everything.

The shrill sound of a pager caused us to spring apart like to guilty teenagers caught making out in the backseat of a car. Calliope checked her pager, not looking at me. "It's me," she murmured. She started to leave but I stopped her.

"Calliope, I… I can't…"

She turned and gave me a sad look. "I know." And she left.

I continued to sit on the cot, my mind replaying the last fifteen minutes over and over again. Now that the kissing had ceased, my brainwaves returned and began to overpower my heart once again. I couldn't risk either one of us getting hurt, my brain told me. But maybe it would be different with Calliope, my heart nudged. And for the first time in my life, I had no idea if I should follow my head or my heart.

Dammit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Just Because (4/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

_I can't._

Arizona's words rang in my ear throughout the rest of my shift. I immersed myself in paperwork to keep my mind occupied. I should be sleeping seeing as it's nearly five in the morning, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw her blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect dimples. She was haunting me.

I leaned back in the chair I occupied in the lounge and rubbed my eyes, not caring if I messed up my day-old makeup.

My anger towards the perky Peds surgeon had morphed into something I couldn't even name and I was more confused than ever. I'd been confused when first discovering my attraction to women, but I got over that pretty quickly. This was a new kind of confusion that I've never experienced before. Had it been anyone else, I'd have shrugged Arizona's dismissal of me off and returned to normal. But I couldn't shake my disappointment. And that kiss sure didn't help matters. At all. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes for a moment.

"_Calliope," a soft voice whispered into my ear."Huh?" I stirred and lazily opened my eyes. I was still in the lounge. I must have fallen asleep. I turned my head to see who had woken me from my precious slumber and encountered blue eyes. Blue eyes, blonde hair and perfect dimples. _

"_Hey, sleepyhead," the petite women said, caressing my cheek. Then she leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, causing me to gasp, which she took full advantage of by thrusting her tongue into my mouth. What had started off as a fairly chaste kiss quickly turned into a hot, deep, passion-filled one complete with roaming hands and moans of delight. _

"_You're so beautiful," she whispered into my eat when she broke the kiss. Suddenly, she positioned herself so that she was in my lap, straddling my thighs with her face buried in my neck. I groaned when she found a particularly sensitive spot and laved her tongue over it in small circles. _

"_Arizona," I sighed._

"_I'm here," she said as her hand slowly made its way down my front, stopping briefly to caress my breasts before moving on to my ribcage, stomach, abdomen and finally to my-_

"Torres!"I was startled awake by the booming voice and jumped in my chair. I was highly disappointed to find that I'd only been dreaming of the blond vixen. I looked up to find Mark with a highly amused grin on his face.

"I hate to wake you from what is obviously a _very_ good dream," he started off with a sly grin, "but your shift ended an hour ago."

I just glared at him, ignoring his very correct comment about my dream. I stood and gathered my unfinished paperwork before inching past him without a word.

"Hey," he said, capturing my elbow gently. "You know you can talk to me, right?" This he said sincerely without any hint of teasing in his voice and I softened.

"I know," I replied. "I'm okay. I promise."

He nodded and let me go and I retreated down the hallway towards the locker room. I looked out the window and noticed the storm brewing outside. Typical Seattle weather that fit my mood perfectly, I thought as a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder shook the windows. After changing out of my scrubs and grabbing my bag, I made my way to the elevators.

The doors opened to reveal an exhausted looking Arizona and two nurses. I briefly considered just taking the stairs, but quickly dismissed the idea. I was too tired to walk down the six flights of stairs.

I stepped into the enclosed space and stood against the opposite wall, thankful there were nurses there with us to take away some of the awkwardness.

That moment of thankfulness ended when both of them exited the elevator on the fifth floor. I forced myself to not look at the woman I'd just had a very sexy dream about, feeling my face flush.

Four floors to go, three floors to go, I mentally counted down as I watched the illuminated numbers above the doors.

Two floors to go… and darkness.

The elevator came to a shuddering halt. I gripped the railing to keep myself from falling, but heard a distinct "oomph!" from the other side of the cart. I tried blinking several times, but darkness remained and the elevator was definitely not moving.

Suddenly, a dim light flashed on. Emergency lights, meaning the backup generator is running, which means the power has been interrupted. Great. Just my luck. Stupid Seattle stormy weather!

I glanced over to the other side of the cart, surprised to find Arizona on the floor, looking dazed. "What…?"

"The storm must have knocked the power out," I explained, used to these types of power outages having lived in Seattle for nearly five years. "Are you okay?" I asked when I noticed a small trickle of what appeared to be blood on her forehead.

She touched her forehead and her fingers came away with blood, making her wince. "I must have hit my head when I fell," she said sheepishly. "I'm fine."

She started to stand but I shook my head. "Stay there," I said. I knelt beside her and tilted her head to examine the tiny cut on her forehead, right along her hairline. "I can't really tell because the light is so dim, but it looks pretty superficial. I don't think you'll need stitches."

I hadn't noticed the change in her breathing until I moved my gaze from the cut on her forehead to her bright blue eyes and noticed that her pupils were dilated and her breathing ragged.

"We should call security," I said before quickly getting to my feet. I reached for the emergency phone and talked to the woman on the other end of the line. She told me that the entire wing had lost power and crews were already working to restore it. Until then, we were pretty much out of luck.

I sighed and replaced the phone back in the box. I rested my forehead against the wall in attempt to focus my thoughts and get control of myself.

[_Arizona' POV_]

I watched Calliope struggle to maintain her composure in the dim glow of the emergency light.

I'd just wanted to go home and forget about the emotional roller coaster of the last 48 hours. I shouldn't have kissed her. It wasn't fair to either of us because I was still struggling with the push and pull of whether I should listen to my head or my heart. She'd been so kind and caring in the basement and I hadn't been able to help myself. Then just a few moments ago, when she'd been worried about the minor cut on my forehead, she'd shown that caring side again and I'd almost lost it. Again. Whenever she went into her caring mode, my heart far outweighed my head.

I moved back into the corner of the elevator and pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. Calliope was still standing with her back to the wall, head resting against it, eyes closed. I bet she had no idea how that position exposed her delicate neck and décolletage. I bet she had no idea how much I wanted to bury my face in her neck and mark her as mine.

But she's not mine. My head made sure of that.

Finally, she opened her eyes and lifted her head, staring straight at me as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

"It looks like we'll be in here for a while, so now is as good a time as any," she declared in a voice that I could tell she wanted to sound strong and commanding, but I heard the subtle nervousness laced within it.

"For what?" I asked, my mouth suddenly dry. Why hadn't I grabbed a water like I usually do when I'm on my way home?

"I just want to know why."

Crap. That's what I had been afraid of. The 'why?' question. I decided to play dumb. "Why what?"

Her chocolate brown eyes bore into me. "Why won't you date a woman with a child?"

I sighed and opened my mouth to retort that it was none of her business as I usually did when the subject cam up, but I stopped myself. I've never felt like I owed anyone an answer before, but she was different. I hated how she had this power over me, but there it was, pulling me in, taunting me. I had to tell her the truth. Something inside me told me to tell her. I bet it was my heart speaking to me.

I looked down at my knees, purposefully not looking her in the eye. "I'm scared," I said so softly I feared she didn't hear me.

When she didn't say anything, I looked up, ready to repeat myself because I was certain that she hadn't heard me, but the look of confusion on her face told me otherwise.

"Scared?" she repeated. "Of what?"

I shrugged and returned my gaze to my knees, hoping she'd allow the conversation the be dropped, but I knew better. I knew she'd persist, but a girl can hope, right?

"Arizona, please," she urged, moving to sit beside me. "Talk to me."

I sighed deeply. I should have known better than to think she'd allow it to drop. I might as well put everything out there on the table. She deserved to know anyway. I stretched out my legs in front of me, crossing them at my ankles as I fingered the bracelet on the wrist.

"I never thought I'd make a good mother," I began. "I never wanted kids. I liked kids, but the thought of being responsible for a tiny human every day for 18 years just never appealed to me. I became a Peds surgeon because it's as close as I get to having kids without actually having one myself. Because I do love kids and I like helping them, but I just can't see myself as a mother."

I paused, needing to gather my thoughts.

"I know you're a great mother," I continued. "I can tell by the way you light up whenever someone mentions your daughter. But I can't set myself up for anther broken heart."

Calliope looked more confused than ever and even a little hurt. "How would dating me be setting yourself up for heartbreak?""It's happened before. The last serious relationship I had was with a woman who had a child. We both ended up with broken hearts for reasons I'm not willing to get into, but it stemmed from the fact that she was a mother. I refuse to put myself or you through that."

Calliope was silent for several minutes and I continued to stare at my hands in my lap. Finally, she spoke up. "That's probably the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long time."

I jerked my head up to stare at her in confusion. I'd just poured my heart out and that's what she came up with? Really? "Excuse me?"

"I'm serious," she said. "You won't date me because your heart got broken the last time you dated a mother? The last time I dated a woman, my heart got broken. The last two times I dated a doctor, my heart got broken. It happens. You can't go through life not dating someone because you _might_ get hurt. Then you wouldn't date anyone. Ever."

She was talking quickly and I could barely keep up with her, but her words were definitely hitting home and I felt tears threaten to fall down my cheeks.

"I'm not saying we'd be guaranteed to make it, but no one is."

The elevator suddenly jerked and the lights flickered back on. The cart moved quickly to the predestined ground floor and we sat there in silence for the short trip. On the ground floor, the doors opened and Calliope stood and started to walk out. She turned back just as she cleared the doors.

"Just think about what I said." And then the doors slid closed.

[_Callie's POV_]

The next two days were full of surgeries for me. It seemed that everyone decided to break a bone this week. I was finally sitting down to eat lunch with Mark and Lexie when George appeared by the table, Liliana in his arms.

"Hey," I said, surprised. George was supposed to have the day off. I took Liliana from him. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to pick up some extra hours in the ER and Dr. Hunt said he needed someone today," George explained. "I figured you'd want to see her before I take her to the daycare."

I nodded and nuzzled the top of her soft head with my nose. "I can take her if you want to go ahead and go," I said. He nodded and left.

"I still can't believe you married that wimp," Mark said when he was out of earshot.

"Oh, hush," Lexie admonished him.

"If I hadn't, I wouldn't have Liliana," I reminded him, knowing he had a sweet spot for my little angel.

"Can I hold her?" Lexie asked.

"Sure," I said and stood to hand her Liliana. I watched as Lexie cradled her and spoke softly to the wide-eyed infant.

I glanced at Mark and nearly choked when I saw the longing look in his eye as he started at his girlfriend holding the tiny bundle. Huh. It looked as if he was wanting to start a family of his own. I'd have never thought it to be true. Maybe he's finally growing up after all. Lexie had done wonders for his maturity.

I suddenly got that feeling that someone was staring at me and I glanced around the cafeteria. My eyes were drawn to the bright blue ones of Arizona sitting across the room. She didn't look away when our gazes connected, but she did give a small, sad smile before gathering her empty tray and leaving the cafeteria. My gaze followed her the entire time until she was out of sight.

Man, did I have it bad. But it didn't look like Arizona was going to let what I said in the elevator change her mind. It's been two days and she hasn't said a word to me.

[_Arizona's POV_]

Seeing Calliope holding her baby girl had given me goose bumps. I couldn't help but stare from across the room. She seemed so happy with her tiny human cradled in her arms. So maternal and, I wouldn't have believed it to be possible, but sexy as well. Of course, Calliope would always be sexy no matter what, but something about her had glowed. I knew then that she was meant to be a mother.

I left the cafeteria, unable to keep looking at that picture of near perfection. It only 'near' perfection because I wasn't in the picture right next to them.

I stopped short in the hallway. Where in the hell had that thought come from? I wasn't in the picture because I'm not supposed to be in the picture. Right?

I felt my heart begin to race as I glanced over my shoulder. I could just barely see Calliope take her daughter from Mark's arms and gather her stuff. She began to make her way towards me and I panicked. I ducked into the nearest door, a supply closet, and shut the door behind me.

I waited several minutes before peaking out to ensure she was gone before exiting the closet and making my way towards the nearest exit. I really needed some fresh air.

I sat on a bench and closed my eyes, just taking a moment to try and think things through.

"She really likes you, you know," a voice startled me out of my thoughts.

I jumped and opened my eyes to see the guy that Calliope is always eating lunch with. I couldn't remember his name, but I've heard rumors about him that don't help me respect him. "What?" I asked.

He joined me on the bench uninvited. "Callie," he said. "She likes you. She wouldn't shut up about the perky Peds surgeon that kissed her in a dirty bar bathroom."

I blushed but didn't say anything. I already know that she likes me. That's part of the problem.

"And I think you like her, too," the man continued.

"It's really none of your business," I said as politely as I could muster at the moment.

"But it is my business," he said. "She's my best friend and I want her to be happy. I don't know if you're the one to make her happy, but I'd hate to think she missed out on that happiness because you didn't want to try."

I had no idea what to say to that. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I had to find Calliope.

I searched the hospital, checking lounges, on-call rooms and OR's with no luck. A thought suddenly entered my head and I made my way down to the basement, hoping she was there.

"Calliope," I said when I saw her sitting on the same cot I'd occupied several days ago. She looked up and I lost all control. The next thing I knew, I was kneeling in front of her, my fingers tangled in her raven hair and my mouth assaulting hers.

I pulled back when my lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen.

"Can we talk?" I asked. It was now or never.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Just Because (5/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I held my breath and braced myself, certain that this conversation would not bode well for me.

But she'd just kissed me. That was a good sign, right? Or was it like a goodbye kiss? One last kiss for the road?

I realized that she was looking at me expectantly and that I hadn't answered her. I nodded and fought against the tears threatening. I don't know why I was so upset. I barely knew the woman before me. There was no reason to get this emotional about this.

Arizona stood. "Can I sit?"

I nodded again, not trusting my voice. She sat next to me and took my hands in hers.

"These last couple of weeks…" she started, but paused, shaking her head as if to clear it. "These last couple of weeks have been such a roller coaster of emotions," she said. I had to agree but I didn't say anything. I kept my gaze our clasped hands, unable to look into her eyes. "Calliope, it's obvious I like you. Like, really like you. And it's obvious you feel the same for me. And I swore that I'd never fall for another woman who had a child, but I've fallen for you anyway."

I gasped softly and looked up into her eyes. "What?" I whispered, unsure that I'd heard her correctly.

"I know it's fast, but I fell for you the moment I walked into that bathroom at Joe's. But you're something that I swore I'd never fall for. You have a beautiful baby girl, but I swore I'd never fall for a mother ever again. So I panicked. And I ran. I was scared of getting hurt again, which wasn't fair to you or me. And I… I'm sorry."

I couldn't believe my ears. It sounded as if she was about to say that she wanted to be with me despite the fact that I'm a mother. I didn't dare interrupt her in fear that I was wrong, however.

After a slight pause, Arizona took a deep breath and continued. "I've never felt like this so soon after meeting a woman before. I fell like… like I've known you forever. I'm comfortable with you. I can break down in front of you like I did the other day. I don't connect with adults that easily, but I connected with you almost instantly. I couldn't see that through my own fears, but I do now."

She looked up at me expectantly and I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I.. I'm saying that I want to try. With you. If you'll let me. Because I can see myself falling hard for you, Calliope Torres. I'm already half way in love with you and we've only been on one hazardous date. My fault, of course."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that last statement. "Am I hearing you correctly? You want to be with me even though I have a newborn? Even though I _am _a newborn?"

She blushed slightly, which I found endearing. "I'm sorry about that, by the way," she said softly. "But yes, I want to be with you. I tried to not think about you and forget about you, but I couldn't. You invaded my every waking thought that quickly. And… And your friend… I can't remember his name. The plastics guy?"

"Mark Sloan," I provided, wondering what he had to do with this.

"Yeah, him," she said. "He said some things that made me realize how shortsighted I was being and how I'd regret not giving us a chance."

"Mark did that?" I asked, surprised. "Are we talking about the same guy? Tall with graying hair and blue eyes?"

Arizona nodded. "Yeah, I was surprised, too, but he was quite insightful." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek. "But ultimately, I just didn't want you to be the one that got away because of my stupid, irrational fears."

I felt the tears that had been threatening all along finally lose their battle with my eyelids and trickle down my cheeks. But now, they were tears of relief and joy instead of sorrow. "I was so sure you were going to list all the reasons we couldn't be together," I said, my voice laden with emotion.

Arizona rose to sit on her knees so she could wrap her arms around me and pull me close, burying her face in my hair. "I'm so sorry," I could hear her whispering over and over. Arizona pulled back slightly and wiped away my tears. "I'm still terrified, you know," she said, but she said it with a small smile. "I may start to freak out and get clingy. And I tend to be a little possessive"

I grinned. "I'll keep that in mind," I said. "I, on the other hand, am the perfect girlfriend," I teased, making her chuckle.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she replied, leaning down and pressing her soft lips against mine in a gentle kiss.

I groaned softly and pulled her closer to me, needing to know that this was real and not a dream. Because it would be just like my brain to dream this scenario.

Arizona got the hint and slid her tongue into my mouth, her nimble tongue caressing my own. My arms tightened around her waist as my hands found their way under her scrub top to roam her naked lower back. Her skin was soft and warm, begging for my touch.

I was suddenly aware that we were in the basement of the hospital in the exact same area where I used to call home and I forced myself to break away.

Arizona smiled, understandingly. "How about we take another shot at a date?" she asked.

I nodded. "It just so happened that it's George's weekend with Liliana," I said, hoping that me mentioning my daughter wouldn't phase her, grateful when it didn't. I wasn't about to censor myself when it came to my Liliana.

"Super!" Arizona said. "How about tomorrow? Are you on-call?"

"Only until five," I said.

"Me, too. How about I pick you up at seven?"

I shook my head. "You took me out last time," I said. "It's my turn to take you out."

She started to protest by I shut her up by planting another kiss on her lips. "Nope, I'm taking you out. Actually, why don't you let me cook for you? I'm pretty sure my roommate is on-call tomorrow night."

Arizona smiled. "You want to cook for me?" I nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "But only if you make me that chicken piccata you boasted about the other day."

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I nervously checked my reflection in my visor mirror one last time before I exited my car. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous. Calliope had stressed that this would be low-key and casual. Jeans and a t-shirt, she'd insisted. I'd decided my favorite dark-wash skinny jeans and a long-sleeved dark grey t-shirt with a V-neck. A simple pair of black flats finished off my outfit.

My breath caught in my throat when Calliope answered the door. She was dressed just as casually in dark jeans and a purple top, but she was absolutely stunning with her raven hair flowing around her face and shoulders and her makeup flawless. She smiled broadly and I felt my heart melt.

"Hey," she said, stepping aside to allow me to enter the apartment, delicious smells coming from the kitchen teasing me.

"Hey," I replied, going up on tip-toe to greet her properly with a soft kiss. "Something smells delicious," I said when we parted.

"Chicken piccata, as you requested," she said. "It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes. Would you like some wine?"

"I'd love some," I said, sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen bar. This was the first time I've been to her apartment and I looked around curiously. "I like your apartment," I said when she placed a glass of white wine in front of me. "Mine is still cluttered and not very homey."

"It's not always this clean," Calliope said with a grin as she stirred the pot of noodles. "My roommate is pretty… unorganized most of the time. I threatened to kick her out if she didn't clean up all her medical journals and other crap."

"Who's your roommate?" I asked curiously, my possessive nature already showing signs of life.

"Cristina Yang," she answered as she fished out a noodle to test it's readiness. "She's a second year resident and Cardio obsessed. But she's good. She'll make a hell of a surgeon."

I tried to remember if I'd met a Cristina Yang, but I've met and worked with so many new faces lately that they all kind of ran together in my head. I sipped my wine, loving the bite of the cold liquid on my tongue. Shortly after that, Calliope placed a plate of delicious looking and smelling pasta in front of me before sitting on the stool next to me, a full plate and glass of red wine in front of her.

"I hope you like it," she said.

I smiled and took a bite, almost moaning at the amazing flavors that burst in my mouth. "Oh, my God, Calliope. This is awesome," I said genuinely. "You really made this yourself?"

She nodded. "My mom taught me to cook," she said. "We had a cook that made most of the family's meals, but my mom still liked to get her hands dirty in the kitchen every once in a while."

I raised my eyebrows in question. "You had a cook?"

I noticed her cheeks flush and she looked down into her plate of pasta. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out.

"What was that?"

She looked up at me and gave an embarrassed grin. "My parents are pretty wealthy," she said. "My dad owns a chain of four-star hotels in the Southeast." She shrugged and I let the subject drop. It was obvious that the topic of her family's wealth was not something she was comfortable with, so I didn't push.

"Well, your mother must be an amazing cook," I said, taking another bite of the flavorful dish.

She smiled. "I always preferred her cooking to Maria's."

I decided that since she'd brought up the topic of her parents, I could now ask a question that I've been wondering. "So, have you told your parents? About dating women?"

She blushed again. This time her cheeks were such a deep red I was afraid she was having a heat stroke. "Umm," she stuttered. I knew that meant that she hadn't.

"Why not?" I asked. That was another downside of dating what I had previously dubbed a 'newborn.' The coming out to parents. But I would stick by Calliope no matter what.

"They… they're pretty religious. Catholic. My divorce was a huge strike against me, so I… I didn't think that… I decided that I wouldn't tell them until I found someone that I liked enough to come out."

"Oh," I answered slowly, wanting to ask if she liked me enough, but not wanting to push.

"I don't know how to tell them," she said in a voice so small that I put my own interests aside.

"It's not easy," I said. "And I was lucky, I guess. My parents were very supportive of me. I… I understand if you don't want to tell them just yet, though."

She shook her head. "No, I want to tell them, because I do really like you and don't want to hide anything from them. I'm just scared how they'll react. My dad in particular."

Having finished my food during our conversation, I stood and stepped up next to her, twining my arms around her waist and laying my head on her shoulder. "You don't have to do anything until you're ready, Calliope."

"I know," she said. "Which is good because my dad will be in town for the day on Tuesday. He has business in LA and decided to make a detour on his way home. I'm not sure I'd be ready by then."

I kissed her forehead. "It's alright," I said sincerely, knowing that this was a difficult process. "I still really, really like you," I whispered.

She pulled back and smiled broadly. "Well, that's good because I really, really like you, too."

She stood and cleared the dishes, refusing my offers to help, then made her way into the living room, pulling me behind her.

"Dance with me," Calliope said.

"But there's no music," I laughed.

She rolled her eyes and walked over to a stereo and flipped it on. Music instantly filled the room. "Please?" she asked holding out her hands and giving me her best puppy dog eyes. How on earth could I resist that?

I smiled and took her hands as the opening bars to "Little Pieces" by Gomez started playing. I loved to dance. I don't think that I'm all that coordinated when dancing, but I don't care. It feels great to let myself go and dancing with Calliope was no hardship. I'm sure I made a complete fool of myself, but whatever. It was fun.

Six songs later, I was exhausted and collapsed onto the couch, laughing. I've never had so much fun on a date before. Calliope joined me on the couch, throwing her arm around my shoulder and pulling me close as we just sat there and listened to the music flowing from the speakers.

A little bit later, I noticed the time and winced. It was nearly midnight, but I didn't want to leave. But I had to be at the hospital at eight in the morning, so I knew I had to get home soon. I sighed and sat up straight. "As much as I want to stay, I should get going soon," I said.

Calliope pouted, something I found ridiculously adorable, but nodded. "You're working tomorrow?"

"Yep. You?"

She shook her head. "Tomorrow's my day off. Kiss me."

Her request, or rather, her order, was so sudden that it took a moment to sink in, but when it did, I smiled and complied. My hands buried in her thick waves. I think I'm obsessed with her hair. My fingers are always tangling in her long tresses or just playing with the silky strands.

Calliope groaned into my mouth as our tongues battled for control of the kiss. I pushed her back against the couch and moved to straddle her thighs. She whimpered at the new position and deepened the kiss, if that was even possible. Her hands dropped to my thighs and ran up the outsides of them, over my jeans.

Realizing that we were treading dangerous waters, I pulled back reluctantly and rested my forehead against hers. "I really should go," I whispered.

"Uh, huh," Calliope murmured, moving to kiss me again. I gave in and allowed her lips to move possessively over mine for a few more moments before pushing myself back.

"Really, Calliope," I insisted. "If I keep kissing you, we're going to end up in your bedroom and it's too soon for that." I saw her eyes widen slightly and she gulped noticeably.

But she nodded slightly and took a deep, calming breath. "You're right. And as much as I wouldn't mind moving this to my bedroom," she said seductively, "it is too soon."

I groaned. "You're not helping, Calliope Torres." I peppered soft kisses over her jaw up to her ear, gently biting her earlobe.

"Neither are you," she groaned out, her hips pressing up slightly beneath mine.

I pulled back and took a deep, calming breath of my own. I reluctantly climbed off her lap, standing and offering her my hand to help her up.

"I had a really great time," Calliope said as she helped me into my coat.

I turned and stood on tip-toe to give her a chaste kiss. "Me, too," I said against her lips. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

She nodded and we kissed once more before I left, walking down the hall with what I'm sure was a stupid grin on my lips. I didn't care, though. I could already tell that listening to my heart was the best decision I could have made. I still have a nagging fear that I would get hurt, but it wasn't enough to keep me away form Calliope. I don't think anything could keep me away now. I was already half way in love with the gorgeous Latina and there was nothing that could hold me back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Just Because (6/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I groaned and fell back on the narrow bed, exhausted beyond belief. I was supposed to have today off, but thanks to the flu bug spreading around, I'd been called in to replace another ortho surgeon.

And now, after a grueling 11 hour surgery putting back together a motorcycle daredevil, I was entirely worn out.

I quickly checked in with Mrs. Wilson, the lifesaver of a neighbor that I could always count on to watch Liliana, no matter what time of day it was, before allowing my eyes to close. I didn't even bother taking off my shoes or getting under the covers. I was that tired.

I barely registered when the door to the on-call room opened and someone entered the tiny space. A small giggle, however, caught my attention and I opened my eyes to see Arizona standing over me, smiling.

"I heard you got called in," she said softly. "And about your long surgery. I figured you'd be exhausted and take refuge in an on-call room."

I nodded and rubbed my face with my hands. "Exhausted doesn't even begin to cover it," I said.

She nodded understandably. "I'll let you sleep, then," she said and leaned down to kiss my forehead.

The gesture was so sweet and intimate that I couldn't help but smile. I gripped her wrist as she turned to leave. "It's okay," I said. "I want you to stay."

"But you need to sleep," Arizona protested weakly, though I could tell she didn't want to leave.

I moved over on the small bed until I was against the wall, pulling her to sit on the bed next to me. "You're sure you don't need sleep?"

"I'll be fine," I insisted. I batted my eyelashes up at her. "Please?"

She grinned and swung her legs up onto the bed so she could lay next to me. I still couldn't get over how easy our relationship was so far. We've been on two "official" dates, but really, last night was what I'd consider the true start of our relationship. Yet things were easy between us. Comfortable. Like we've known each other for years rather than weeks.

Arizona fit in my arms perfectly. She'd curled into me so that her head rested on my shoulder and her arm was slung over my stomach. It should scare me, the quick and easy comfortableness, because I've been hurt so many times in the past, but it didn't. I should be afraid that I'd fall head-over-heels in love only to have my heart stomped on. Again. But I wasn't. There was something about Arizona that, though she may have had a few reservations in the beginning, I trusted. I knew without a doubt that she'd never willingly hurt me, just as I'd never willingly hurt her.

I couldn't help but smile as she told me about one of her patients that she'd been able to save that morning. She was a brilliant surgeon that loved each and every kid she saved. That alone was obvious in the way Arizona sparkled whenever she mentioned a patient.

I closed my eyes and focused on her melodic voice. I felt my breathing slow and my heart rate decrease as I was lulled into a deep sleep.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I glanced up when Calliope failed to answer a question and couldn't help but smile when I saw that she'd fallen asleep.

I began to extricate myself from her arms in order to let her sleep in peace, but she tightened her grip on me while still sleeping. I grinned, but managed to squirm my way out of her grasp, but only to remove my shoes before removing hers, figuring she'd be more comfortable without them. Then I returned to her arms, snuggling into her and allowing my own very tired eyes to close as I listened to the rhythmic beating of her heart. I fell asleep with a big smile on my face.

An insistent ringing startled me out of a deep slumber some unknown time later and I groaned in protest. I burrowed deeper into the warm body next to me as I tired to ignore it.

The body next to me groaned as well, but sat up next to me. I opened my eyes to see Calliope reaching over me to pick up a cell phone and looked at the display. "Sorry," she mouthed to me and answered the call. "Hi, Daddy."

I could only hear her side of the conversation, which was half in Spanish, half in English, so I didn't understand every word, but I was able to garner that general idea of the conversation was about his visit in three days. I knew Calliope was nervous about it and that she wanted to tell him about us, but was too afraid of his reaction, which I totally understood.

She ended her call with him and fell back onto the bed, throwing her arm over her eyes and sighing deeply.

"He knows something's up," she groaned out. I tightened my arm around her torso and held her close.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She removed her arm from her face and turned to face me. "He keeps saying that he can make dinner reservations for three people instead of two if I want to bring along a 'friend.' That's code for 'are you dating anyone?'"

I had to chuckle at that, for which she glared at me. "Sorry," I said. "My mom's the same way." I brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead. "I know you're nervous about telling him about us, but you don't have to do it yet. You know that, right?"

"I know," she replied. "I just don't like having to hide our relationship from anyone."

"It's a big deal, Calliope. It would be different if we were hiding from everyone, not just your family. And it's still early. Too early for the whole 'meet the family' ordeal anyway. We just started dating."

"I guess," she sighed, then shook her head. "I don't want to think about this right now. Are you working tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "Tomorrow's my day off. Supposedly."

She chuckled. "Because I worked today, they gave me tomorrow off instead." She suddenly looked shy. "I was thinking that, if you didn't already have plans… maybe you'd want to join Liliana and I at the park?"

I knew she was nervous about asking. I could tell by the way adverted her eyes and spoke quickly. She need not worry, however, because I was anxious to officially be introduced to her beautiful baby girl. "What time?" I asked, still stroking her cheek.

Her face lit up and I felt my heart skip a beat at her gorgeous smile and chocolate brown eyes so full of joy. "Around eleven? Maybe we could get something to eat afterwards?"

I placed a soft kiss against her lips. "I'd love to," I said.

Calliope smiled and pressed her lips back against mine. I hummed in appreciation as I felt her nip at my lips, seeking entrance. I let her in, caressing her tongue with my own as my boldness grew. I moved the hand that had been resting on her hip under her scrub top to tease the soft skin of her waist and ribcage as I inched upwards. I stopped just below her breast, giving her time to protest. When she didn't, I covered her breast, cupping her through her lacy bra.

"Oh, God," Calliope groaned, pulling back from the kiss, arching her back and throwing her head back. I took the opportunity to bury my face in her neck and trail wet kissed over her exposed skin, suckling softly and taking care to not leave any marks.

While I nibbled her neck, I ran my thumb over the already distended tip of her breast, eliciting another deep groan from her throat, one of the sexiest things I've ever heard.

As much as I wanted to continue our little tryst, I knew we had to stop. I could already tell that I wouldn't be able to wait too much longer to make love with my beautiful Calliope, but now was not the time nor the place.

Calliope groaned in protest when I withdrew my hand from under her top and sat up. "Come on, Calliope. The sick people need us." I swung my legs over the side of the bed and bent to put on my shoes.

"Stupid sick people," I heard her grumble under her breath, but she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to restore some semblance to it.

As if on cue, my pager blared. I checked the display and grimaced. Trauma coming in. "See?" I said to Calliope, giving her a quick kiss. "Sick people need an awesome surgeon."

"Go be awesome," she said.

I smiled and left the room, already excited about tomorrow.

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I hummed to myself as I packed Liliana's diaper bag, preparing for the worst as I always tend to do. Extra diapers? Check. Extra wipes? Check. Baby powder? Check. A change of clothes (for Liliana)? Check. Food? Check.

I checked the clock and noticed that I had managed to get the both of us ready with three minutes to spare.

A knock sounded on the door. Make that with no minutes to spare.

I gave myself one last look over in the mirror before going out to the living room. I groaned inwardly when I saw that Cristina had gotten to the door before me and appeared to be grilling Arizona.

"Down, Cristina!" I growled, gripping the grumpy woman's arm and tugging her away from the door and away from a bemused looking Arizona.

"What?" Cristina asked, hands on her hips. "I didn't say anything."

I rolled my eyes and she glared before stalking off to her room.

"Cristina," I clarified. "Ignore her. She's… not a morning person."

Arizona chuckled and stood on tip toe to give me a greeting kiss. "Are you a morning person?" she asked.

"Not usually, but it helped that I knew I was going to see you this morning," I said, my voice sugar coated.

"Oh, nice," she said, taking a step back. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and walked to the couch where Liliana's diaper bag was, hefting it onto my shoulder before leaning down to pick my baby up from where she sat in her swing. I noticed the smile playing across Arizona's lips and I felt my nervousness dissipate a bit.

As I settled Liliana in my arms, I felt the diaper bag begin to slip off my shoulder. Arizona must have realized, because she stepped forward and grabbed it before it fell. "Let me take that," she said. I let her because it's honestly easier to carry either the bag or the baby and not both.

"Thanks," I said. We left the apartment and made our way to my car, talking easily. I'd feared that things would be tense and awkward, but I'd underestimated Arizona. She didn't appear to resent Liliana's inclusion in our date at all, like she'd painted the picture of. Actually, she appeared to enjoy it, even opting to sit in the back seat to ride along side Liliana's car seat. I had to smile when I looked in the rearview mirror to see her playing peek-a-boo with the giggling child. If only I had a video camera.

Once at the park, I pulled into a parking spot and we got out, Arizona surprising me again when she unbuckled Liliana from her car seat and picked her up, cradling her in her arms. I stopped for a second while I was in the process of grabbing the diaper bag from the front passenger seat to take in the sight before me - Arizona holding my precious baby, cooing softly to her as she bounced slightly back and forth on her feet, and Liliana completely taken already with the woman that held her, reaching up to tangle her pudgy fingers in the blonde curls and giving a toothless grin and high-pitched squeal of delight.

Arizona laughed and reached up to untangle the fingers, breaking me out of my trance. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I picked the bag up and closed and locked the doors of my car.

"She likes the swings," I said as we made our way to the playground. In all honestly, there's not much a six-month-old child could do on a playground other than swing in one of the baby swings, but she did love it, so that point was moot.

"The swings are my favorite!" came Arizona's child-like reply as she set Liliana in one of the baby swings. I set the bag down in the grass by the swing set and watched in amazement as Arizona sat in the regular swing beside Liliana and started pumping her legs as she swung higher and higher.

I stood behind Liliana and pushed her a considerably lower height on the swing as I watched Arizona with a smile on my face. "It's like I have two kids," I said with a laugh. "A baby and a six-year-old."

Arizona just stuck her tongue out at me, which only served to support my claim, but I laughed anyway. Arizona Robbins, Peds Surgery, was like no other woman I'd ever met, but she'd already captured my heart.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

We spent nearly an hour at the park before walking across the street to a family restaurant for lunch. I have to admit that this wasn't nearly as awkward as I had feared it may be. I've always been good with babies and children. That kind of a requirement to work in Peds. But I've never felt truly connected to an infant before. Usually, they're just patients. Important patients, yes, and I get highly upset if I'm not able to save them, but at the end of the day, they're patients and nothing more.

Calliope's baby, however, had already managed to work her way into my heart and grab a hold of me. Tightly.

I knew Calliope was surprised by the way I seemed to already be attached to her daughter. I could see it in her eyes as we sat at the table waiting for our orders with Liliana in my lap as I bounced her softly up and down. But along with the surprise in her eyes was amusement, laughter and, most of all, relief.

"She really is precious," I said. "Like a baby doll."

Calliope rolled her eyes slightly. "Just wait until she starts crying or needs a diaper change. See if you still think that then." But she said it while laughing, so I grinned.

"Can I tall you a secret?" I asked.

"What's that?"

"I've never changed a baby's diaper before."

She looked stunned and gave a disbelieving laugh. "You… But you're a Peds surgeon. You work with babies all day."

I narrowed my eyes at her in fake displeasure. "I am a surgeon, Calliope Torres. Not a babysitter."

She softened. "I'm sorry," she said. "Did you ever baby sit when you were a teenager?"

"Yes, but they were all potty trained," I explained.

The waitress brought over our orders at that moment, taking a moment to smile at the baby in my lap.

I liked this feeling, a sudden thought dawned on me. This feeling of being a family unit. I'd never felt like that with Liz and her son, I realized. I'd always felt like a third wheel instead of part of the unit. But that wasn't the case with Calliope and Liliana. I don't know why it was different with the two of them, but I really didn't care.

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

We finished lunch just as Liliana began to get fussy. It was quickly approaching her usual nap time.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the slight look of panic on Arizona's face as Liliana began to cry a little. I decided to end her panic, though, knowing she thought she was doing something to upset the baby.

"She's tired," I explained. "It's her nap time. Let me take her."

Arizona smiled slightly as she handed her to me, relieved that it wasn't anything she'd done to upset Liliana. It amazed me that a woman that worked with babies day in and day out was so inexperienced with reading a baby's cries. I do have to consider, however, that it's the nurses that care for the babies in the nursery. Arizona did have a point - she's a surgeon, not a babysitter.

We paid our bill, which Arizona's had tried to pick up, but I insisted on paying my half, and walked back to my car.

"Do you have some place to be?" I asked as I pulled into my parking spot.

"I have no plans for the rest of the day," she answered with a smile.

"Good," I said as we walked into the building, me holding Liliana, Arizona carrying the diaper bag. "You want to maybe just hang out for a while? Maybe watch a movie or something?"

She grinned as we stepped into the elevator. "Sounds great," she said.

"I just need to put her down for her nap," I said when we entered the apartment and I headed for Liliana's nursery. "Make yourself at home."

I changed Liliana's diaper, half-tempted to have Arizona try it, but I decided against it. Liliana was getting fussier by the minute and needed to get her nap as soon as possible. I sat down in the hand-made rocking chair that my parents had presented us with and began rocking gently with Liliana cradled against my chest. I closed my eyes and began humming the first thing that popped into my head, "Amazing Grace." Soon, my humming turned to singing.

**Amazing grace  
How sweet the sound  
That saved a wretch like me  
I once was lost.  
But now I'm found  
Was blind, but now, I see**

**

* * *

**

[_Arizona's POV_]

As I sat on the couch waiting for Calliope to return, I studied the many pictures adorning the mantle and walls. Many were of Calliope and Liliana, a few of what I assumed to be other family members of Calliope, and a couple that appeared to be of a rather un-amused looking Cristina Yang. I tried hard not to laugh at the last category.

I became aware of the sound of a familiar melody coming from the room Calliope and Liliana had disappeared into and I craned my neck to try and hear better. When that didn't work, I stood and made my way to the door that stood slightly ajar. What I saw nearly made me melt on the spot. Calliope sat in a gorgeous rocking chair cradling Liliana to her chest and rocking gently back and forth with her eyes closed as she sang "Amazing Grace" to her daughter.

Her voice enthralled me, holding me captive. I felt like I was intruding on an incredibly tender and private moment, but I couldn't force myself to retreat. I felt tears begin to well in my eyes at the beautiful scene before me.

**When we've been here**  
**Ten thousand years**  
**Bright shining as the sun**  
**We've no less days**  
**To sing God's grace**  
**Than when we've first begun**

**Amazing grace**  
**How sweet the sound**  
**That saved a wretch like me**  
**I once was lost**  
**But now I'm found**  
**Was blind, but now, I see**

The last two lines were barely audible and I felt a tear lose it's grip and roll down my cheek. Sometime, unbeknownst to me, I'd opened the door wider and stepped inside the room to lean against the door frame.

Calliope brushed her lips across Liliana's head and she stood, opening her eyes as she did so. She looked surprised to see me, but she didn't seem upset, which I was thankful for. Then she noticed the tears and her expression turned to one of worry.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I-I couldn't help but watch. That was… so beautiful."

She placed Liliana in her crib and made her way towards me, gripping my hand and pulling me out of the room and closing the door behind her. "Why are you crying?" she asked, wiping away my tears as we stood just outside Liliana's nursery.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and stepped closer to her, laying my cheek against her chest. I felt her arms surround my shoulders and I sighed in content. "You have an amazing voice," I said. "You're an amazing mother. You're just… amazing. And I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm really glad I'm here and have you in my life. Both of you."

Calliope's arms tightened around me and I felt her bury her face in my hair. "I'm glad for that, too. So very glad."


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Just Because (7/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** Okay, firstly, thanks so much for all the comments/reviews on this! They really do motivate me to keep going. I got a hugely positive response from the last chapter, so thanks! : )

**[Note: Flashbacks in **_**italics**_**]**

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

Sunlight filtered through the curtains and assaulted my eyes when I opened them, telling me that it was morning and Liliana would be waking up at any moment.

I sighed and rolled onto my back as I rubbed my eyes, startled when I came into contact with another warm body. I jerked my eyes open and looked to my left and was met with piercing blue eyes.

"Morning," Arizona whispered.

I grinned, now remembering the previous evening's events.

_After Arizona's tears stopped, she lifted her head and wiped her cheeks._

"_You must think I'm a total sap," she choked out. _

_I grinned and cupped her cheeks. "You're not a sap," I said. "But you do confuse me sometimes." She gave me a confused look, so I explained. "You're kind of a puzzle sometimes. I have a hard time figuring you out."_

_Arizona looked down, embarrassed, but I forced her to look at me. _

"_It's not a bad thing," I said. "It's just that I feel like you don't open up that much."_

_Arizona took a deep breath and brought my hand to her mouth in order to kiss my palm. "I tend to hold things in," she said softly. "But I promise to try and let you in more. I like you, _really_ like you, and I want to be able to open up to you."_

"_Why don't we start now?" I asked, taking her hands and leading her to the couch. "Tell me about your family."_

_I noticed the multitude of emotions run across her face. I saw relief, joy, excitement, and sorrow before she smiled sadly. She told me about her parents, her military father and school teacher mother. I could tell she was close to them both, but it was obvious she was the classic "Daddy's Little Girl" form the way her eyes lit up when she mentioned her father. _

_Then she told me about her brother and how he'd been killed in the line of duty. There was intense sadness in her voice and tears in her eyes, along with a sad smile as she recounted childhood memories of him. _

_Then I asked about her coming out, her first girlfriend, and her family's reaction to the news. I was envious. I already knew my parents, my father in particular, weren't going to be as understanding and open, but I hoped against hope that they'd accept me. _

_We talked all day, about family, friends, work and our mutual hopes to travel one day. When Liliana woke up needing a diaper change and a bottle, I made Arizona change her, taking care not to laugh too hard at the board certified Peds surgeon that didn't even know how to properly change a baby's diaper. But she was a trooper, eager to learn. Then I brought Liliana out to the living room with us to feed her as we continued chatting. _

_I was genuinely surprised when my stomach growled and I looked at the clock to find that it was nearly eight in the evening. _

"_How is it that late?" I wondered aloud. _

"_Time flies when you're having fun, I guess." _

_I smiled at that. We were having fun. "Are you hungry? I can whip up something quick."_

"_You don't have to, Calliope. We can just order something if you prefer."_

"_I don't mind," I said. "Really. I like to cook. My lasagna is pretty quick and easy."_

_She agreed and even helped me in the kitchen. I loved this feeling, working along side Arizona in the kitchen. We prepared and ate the Italian classic while continuing our earlier chatter._

_It was late when we finally decided to call it a night. Arizona and I stood by the door kissing for several minutes (more like half an hour) when Arizona pulled back and looked into my eyes. _

"_I don't wanna leave," she whispered. _

"_I don't want you to go, either," I said, burying my face in her neck. _

_She pushed me back. "But I should. It's still too soon, Calliope."_

_I groaned. If pushed, I would admit that it was too soon, but I still didn't want her to leave. "Stay with me tonight," I said on impulse. _

"_Calliope, I just said-"_

"_I know, I know. But I want to sleep next to you, wrapped around you. I want to wake up next to you and make you breakfast. Stay with me. We'll just sleep. I promise."_

_I could tell she really wanted to, but was having an internal battle with herself. I gave her my best "puppy dog eye" stare and saw her resolve shatter. "Alright," she agreed. "But I'm serious, Calliope. No hanky panky."_

"_Did you just say 'hanky panky'?" I asked, kissing her softly, elated that she would be one of the first things I saw in the morning. _

"_Yes, I did," was all she said before she brushed past me into the kitchen where she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. I loved that she was so comfortable in my home already. She took a sip before sighing. "But I don't have anything to sleep in or toiletries or something to wear tomorrow…"_

"_I have something you can sleep in and I have an extra toothbrush and, well, you work tomorrow, right?" She nodded. "You can just wear a pair of my sweats into work and change into scrubs as soon as you get there." I _really_ wanted her to stay. _

_And so did she because she didn't argue with any of that. She just nodded and we got ready for bed, taking turns in the bathroom before crawling under the covers. While I wanted to make love with her, was dying to make love with her, it was nice and felt so right to just lay in her arms as we both drifted off into a peaceful sleep._

Arizona brushed a gentle kiss across my lips and I threaded the fingers of my right hand into her sleep-tangled hair. She looked amazing with bed head.

"Told you it would be amazing to wake up next to each other," I whispered against her lips.

"Super awesome," she agreed before kissing me again, this time with a bit more passion and fire.

Just as things were heating up, a distinct noise from the baby monitor on the nightstand met my ears. I pulled back and smiled apologetically. "Baby," I said. She nodded and I got up, walking towards the door. "Feel free to take a shower, if you want. Towels are in the closet in the bathroom."

"Thanks," Arizona said, stretching. I left the room to check on Liliana.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I turned the water up as hot as I could stand it and stepped into the large stall, groaning as the hot water coursed over my sleep-stiff muscles.

I grinned when I noticed Calliope's shampoo and conditioner and picked the shampoo up, opening the cap and smelling the intoxicating smell of almond and shea butter.

Ten minutes later, I stepped out of the shower, my hair smelling like Calliope. I knew I'd be smelling it all day. That was quite alright with me.

"What's all this?" I asked when I came out of the bedroom to find Calliope standing at the stove flipping pancakes with one hand while scrambling eggs with another. In a third pan, sausage sizzled.

"I told you that I'd make you breakfast," Calliope chucked, never looking up. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I made the works."

I sat at the kitchen counter, amazed. "You really didn't have to do all this. I usually just grab a bowl of cereal or a granola bar in the morning."

She slid the eggs, two pancakes and two sausage patties onto a plate and set it in front of me along with a cup of coffee, orange juice and some maple syrup. "I like to cook," was all she said before sitting beside me and digging in.

We were both scheduled today, so we made our was to the hospital where we shared a brief kiss before we went our separate ways, Calliope taking Liliana to the daycare while I headed off to do rounds in Peds.

Things were pretty quiet the next couple of days. Calliope and I didn't get to see each other outside the hospital because our schedules conflicted, but we always ate lunch together and spent as much time together as possible.

It was Tuesday, the day Calliope's dad was coming to Seattle. I knew she was nervous but was trying to put on a brave face. I really was okay with her not coming out to him quite yet. While I wouldn't wait forever, I knew how big of a deal it was and how genuinely afraid she was about it and the possibility of losing her family.

I checked my watch and noted that Calliope's shift was due to begin in a few minutes. I decided to meet her in the lobby and make sure she wasn't freaking out.

As I descended the stairs, I smiled when I saw a somewhat preoccupied Calliope walking up. I was suddenly glad I'd taken the stairs instead of the elevator. I stepped in front of her, preventing her from passing and gripped the lapels of her leather jacket. I smiled and pulled her towards me, pressing my lips against hers.

I allowed my lips to just brush hers several times in light, feathery kisses until she smiled and threaded her fingers into my hair and pulled me closer, crushing her lips against mine is a deeper kiss. I groaned softly when her tongue met mine and her free hand found my hip through my scrubs and pulled my body against hers.

The sound of a stairwell door opening somewhere above us made us separate, suddenly reminding us of our public location.

"Hi," Calliope said.

"Good morning," I murmured, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I was coming to find you. How are you feeling?"

Calliope rolled her eyes slightly, but took my hand as we ascended the stairs towards the resident locker room where she would change into her scrubs. "I feel like I'm going to hurl," she groaned nervously.

"It'll be alright," I soothed, squeezing her hand. We walked down the hall towards the locker room. "He's just here for the day, you'll go out to lunch with him, make conversation, and then tonight, you and I will have a nice, quiet dinner at home." I paused. "Ah, I mean at your apartment," I quickly amended, blushing furiously at my slip. Luckily, Calliope didn't seem to notice. Or if she did, she was just too nervous to care.

I calmed her down the best I could before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and returning to the Peds unit to do my rounds. I had no idea what to expect from today, but I had to stay positive. For Calliope.

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I felt numb as I stared out the window of the lounge that my father had just stormed out of. The lounge where he'd threatened to cut me off, disown me, if I didn't leave Seattle, leave my job, my friends and my _girl_friend and follow him back to Miami.

I've never blatantly defied my father like that. Sure, I'd had my moment of rebellion as a teenager, but never had I outright challenged him like that.

But it was worth it.

I think.

After I broke down in Arizona's arms, I was too emotionally exhausted to even think any more. I just wanted to get my daughter and go home. Arizona walked with me to pick up Liliana after we changed out of our scrubs.

"I completely understand if you want to cancel tonight and just take Liliana home," Arizona said, placing her hand on my arm as we exited the building. "You've been through a lot today."

I considered her offer for about two seconds before I shook my head. "No, I still want you to come over," I said. I shifted the sleeping Liliana in my arms, careful not to wake her, and took Arizona's hand in mine. "I don't want to be alone right now." I sniffled slightly.

Arizona nodded and squeezed my hand. "You shouldn't have to cook for us, though," she said and I had to agree. The last thing I felt like doing was cook a meal. "And you don't want me to cook, believe me. Why don't we just order takeout or something?"

I just nodded again, not trusting my voice. I actually wasn't very hungry, but I didn't say anything. I still felt a little numb, but the thought of having my two ladies (Liliana and Arizona) with me helped a bit.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I knew Calliope was putting on a strong front as we ate Chinese takeout in silence. I had tried to keep light conversation going at first, but I soon realized that she wasn't interested. Which was understandable.

I was at a giant loss as to what to do or say. It was the same as earlier in the lounge, when she'd been ranting in Spanish (_very_ hot, by the way) and pacing back and forth. I'd been just as lost then as now, only I didn't have Mark Sloan at my disposal.

"I'm sorry," Calliope suddenly said.

I looked up at her in surprise. "For what?" I questioned.

She sighed heavily and pushed around the food on her plate. "I know I'm not very good company tonight," she said, her voice cracking a bit.

I put down my fork and slid off the high stool to stand beside her. I forced her to look at me. "You are always excellent company, Calliope Torres. It hasn't been the best day for you."

"Understatement of the year," she said under her breath and I couldn't help but smile softly.

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked, not wanting to intrude if she needed time alone to think.

"Do you want me to stay?" she countered, brining my hand to her lips, pressing a kiss into my palm.

"I asked you first," I said.

"I want you to stay."

I smiled. "Then I want to stay."

Calliope blushed slightly. "Will you… stay the night again?" she asked, not looking me in the eye. "I really liked waking up next to you the other day."

I felt my own cheeks flush. "I have a confession," I said. I waited until she looked at me. "Brought a change of clothes and a few toiletries in my bag," I said, indicating my large purse that was actually a large tote bag that I sometimes used to bring home medical journals or paperwork.

She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. I could see that trying to make jokes or cheer her up would be useless. The only think I could do is be here for her and that's exactly what I planned to do.

"It's been a long day," I said. "What do you say we just get ready for bed and call it a night?"

She nodded and began to gather her dishes.

"I'll take care of this," I said. "You go get ready for bed." She started to protest, but I stopped her. "Really. I got this. Go."

She sighed, but did as I said and went into her bedroom. I quickly rinsed off our dishes and put them in the dishwasher before putting the leftovers into the refrigerator. I grabbed my bag before knocking lightly on Calliope's bedroom door.

"Come in," I heard. I opened the door to find Calliope sitting on the edge of her bed, still fully dressed, staring at her hands in her lap. A tear escaped down her cheek and she quickly swiped it away.

I dropped my bag and shut the door before sitting next to her on the bed, rubbing her back with my hand. "It's okay, Calliope," I encouraged. "Just let it out. It's alright. I'm here."

Her shoulders slumped and began to shake as a new wave of sobs tore through her. I gathered her to me, holding her closely.

"I ca-can't believe h-he just… just…" her words became unintelligible. All I could do was let her cry, but I figured that that was exactly what she needed.

I held her tight until her sobs subsided. I pulled back slightly and cupped her cheeks, wiping away her tears with my thumbs. "I wish there was something I could do to make this better."

She sniffled. "You just being here helps," she said.

I gave a small smile. "I think you may feel a little better after a good night's sleep," I suggested and she nodded. She started to move up on the bed to get under the covers and I couldn't stop the small giggle that escaped. "I think you'll be more comfortable if you change into some pajamas," I suggested.

She looked down at her attire and blushed. "Oh. Right."

After our respective turns in the bathroom, we crawled under the covers and I held her to me. Her head rested against my breast and I stroked her hair until her deep, even breaths told me that she was fast asleep.

As I lay there, I try and imagine what it would have been like had my parents not been so supportive of me. I couldn't even begin to think what I would have done without them and I felt my heart breaking once again for my Calliope. How could a parent abandon their child for finding happiness? And what about Liliana? Was he really going to give up his relationship with his daughter _and_ granddaughter?

These thoughts swam in my head as I drifted off into a fitful sleep, still wishing that there was _something_ I could do. I felt so useless.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I still wanted to put it out there. And I also need some opinions. I'm trying to decide how true to stay with the Grey's Anatomy story line. More specifically, I can't decide whether to keep George alive or to have him still get hit by the bus... there is a child involved, after all, and I'm not sure George would have signed up to join the Army if he had a kid. idk. I just want to hear what y'all think, so please let me know! Hope you're enjoying this. : )


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Just Because (8/?)

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on FF)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** I think that this is where I'm going to slowly begin deviating (even more) from the Grey's storyline. There will still be certain events that I will include, but the circumstances around them may be different. I hope y'all are okay with this. : )

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I was dead tired. More exhausted than when I'd first had Liliana and she'd kept me up all night crying.

This was more than physical exhaustion. This was deep emotional exhaustion. I missed my family. Missed the weekly calls. Missed the daily e-mails and texts from my sister. I missed it all. Even the annoying questions from my Aunt about when I'm going to get married and have more babies.

It's been one week and two days since my father's ultimatum. One week and two days since he'd frozen my trust fund account. One week and two days that I've had to worry about how I was going to get by on a resident's salary while raising a baby.

When I'd started working and making my own money, I'd opened a separate account that my own paychecks went into. I lived mainly off of that, only using my trust fund account when I couldn't make ends meet with my own money. Which was every month when the rent was due.

My father hadn't touched my own money. He wasn't _that_ callous. Besides, I don't think he could have if he wanted to, anyway. But I also had never thought something like this would happen, so I hadn't thought to take any money from my trust fund and place it in a separate savings account. So all I had was what I'd made from my measly residency pay. Which sucks.

Most people think that once you graduate med school and get a job in the medical field, you make a lot of money, but that is so not true. At all. Residency, all five years of it, is full of long, terrible hours, fighting for surgeries, endless paperwork, and, yes, horrible pay. I doubt I could even afford name-brand food at the moment.

So for the past week and two days, I've taken on every available extra shift in the ER to make a little extra money. I was beyond exhausted and, worst of all, all the extra shifts had taken away time that I could have spent with Liliana. I missed my baby girl.

It also meant spending less time with Arizona, which sucked. In the past week and two days, we've only seen each other at the hospital and I was usually either too busy or too exhausted to even have a proper conversation with her. I missed her, too.

Today had been an excruciatingly long and hard shift in the ER and I was mentally and physically drained of all energy. I didn't even make it to an on-call room to sleep. Instead, I crawled up onto the first gurney in the hallway that I came across, laid back and closed my eyes. I was on the brink of unconsciousness within seconds.

"Did I do something to upset you?" a rather perturbed voice said. I wasn't sure at first who the question was directed to. My mind wasn't fully functioning at the moment.

"Callie!" the same voice snapped. I jumped, startled and my eyes popped open to see a rather angry looking Arizona standing before me, hands on her hips. I've never seen her mad before, but I had to admit it was pretty hot. Then I realized her anger was directed at me.

"What?" I groaned out, rubbing my tired eyes, not caring that I was probably messing up my make up beyond repair.

"You've been avoiding me since your dad came to town and I can't help but think that you've decided that I'm not worth it and you want to break up with me in order to reconcile with your family."

My sleep-deprived brain finally snapped into full function. I cringed at the sight of tears welling in Arizona's bright blue eyes and realized that it did look like I was trying to avoid her. I mentally kicked myself.

"I'm not trying to avoid you," I said, sitting up on the gurney, my head screaming in protest. I groaned a bit and her eyes flashed a bit of worry before turning back to anger.

"Well, it certainly seems that way!"

I shook my head slightly. "I've just been working a lot of extra shifts. Practically living at the hospital because I'd like to be able to buy food for me and my daughter!"

Arizona looked confused for a second. "What are you talking about?"

I looked up at her imploringly before speaking quickly and without taking a breath. "My dad cleared out my bank account and I don't have anything saved up because I never in a million years thought that something like this could happen so I'm trying to raise my daughter on the lousy resident pay while trying to keep my own head above water by taking on extra shifts in the ER which means that I don't have much time to spend with you much less my own daughter and I am so exhausted that I can barely think-"

"Calliope!" Arizona interrupted my endless rambling by sitting next to me on the gurney and taking one of my hands in hers. I took several quick breaths and shook my head.

"Sorry," I said softly. "I'm just so tired… I didn't mean to make you feel like that. I just… I didn't know what else to do."

Arizona gave me a worried look and rubbed my back with her strong surgeon hand. She kissed my temple lovingly and sighed. "I wish I knew what to tell you," she said. "And I'm sorry I just assumed the worst." She blushed slightly. "I tend to do that a lot."

We sat there for several moments in comfortable silence before Arizona spoke again. "Let me help," she said.

"How?" I asked. "It's not like you can change my dad's mind."

"No, but I can give you a little money," she said.

"No way!" I almost yelled, starting to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let me.

"Here me out, Calliope," she said. "I know you well enough to know that you won't take a hand out. So I'm proposing a loan of sorts. You can pay me back if you insist, but you don't have to until you can."

I shook my head determinedly. I couldn't take money from her.

"Think about Liliana," Arizona said, which was the one thing that could possibly urge me to change my mind. "Formula, diapers, clothes… all that stuff has to be expensive. I just want to help. And, it's kind of for a selfish reason, as well."

I gave her a confused look and she shrugged.

"If I lend you some cash, you won't have to work all the extra shifts and I'll get to see you more."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. When she put it that way... No, I still felt bad taking a hand out. But baby stuff _was_ pretty pricey. And not something that I could skimp on.

Arizona seemed to know what my internal battle was about because she cupped my cheek and kissed me softly. "How about I make a stipulation that anything I give you can only be spent on Liliana?"

I wanted to refuse and, had it just been me, I would have. But Liliana came first, so I knew I had to swallow my pride. I nodded, but rushed out, "but not too much."

Arizona smiled softly and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You could always pay me back in sexual favors."

My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped.

Arizona laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm kidding!" she laughed out. "Jeez, where's your sense of humor?"

I chuckled softly. "In my non-sleep-deprived brain. I left that at home, though."

She gave me a sympathetic look and brushed her fingers across my cheek. "Are you going to Derek and Meredith's wedding tonight?"

I nodded. "If I can get a few hours of sleep." I groaned when I remembered something. "But I told Dr. Turner I'd take over his shift in the ER, which starts in forty-five minutes."

Arizona looked at her watch. "You have about six hours before you'd need to get ready for the wedding. Go home. Sleep. I'll cover the shift."

"You've already done so much-"

"Nope, there's no negotiating. And I'm not sleep-deprived and my shift just ended. So go home. Go to bed." She looked around slyly before grinning and leaning close. "Think of it this way; I can't wait any longer to make love to you but I'm not going to while you're exhausted, so the sooner you rest up, the sooner we can make use of your bed for something other than sleeping."

That's all I needed to hear. I slid off the gurney and gave her a quick kiss before making my way down the hallway. "Thanks for covering my shift, Dr. Robbins!" I called out over my shoulder. Sweet, melodic laughter followed me down the hallway.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I really had forgotten how difficult it was to be a resident and make ends meet. Of course, when I was a resident, I didn't have a child to care for and my parents were always sending me a little money here, a little money there. And they'd paid the rent to my apartment. So the thought that Calliope would be struggling financially had never entered my mind. I'd fully believed that Calliope was trying to avoid me.

The wedding was due to begin in an hour and I pulled out my cell phone to make sure Calliope was up and getting ready as I walked to the locker room to get ready for the wedding.

_This is ur wake up text. Wedding starts in 1 hr. -A_

My phone vibrated in my pocket less than a minute later.

_Already up and almost ready. Feeling very rested ;) xoxo-C_

I grinned. I fully intended to follow through on my earlier comments to Calliope about using her bed for something other than sleeping. I typed out another message.

_Pick u up in half an hr? -A_

Again, she was quick to reply.

_Sounds good. C u then. xoxo-C_

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I fixed my makeup and hair before changing into the dress I'd brought along. Rumor mill had it that the wedding had changed from Derek and Meredith's to Alex and Izzie's. I'm not entirely sure how that happened, but I didn't care. I love weddings. All the love and flowers and people all dressed up. I often imagined what my own wedding would be like if I ever found the right woman and same-sex marriage was legalized. I have a pretty active imagination. Usually, I stood in a long white gown standing next to a faceless woman, my dad giving me away.

I allowed my mind to wander as I daydreamed about my wedding again.

My face flushed a deep red and I gasped. The woman standing beside me at the alter, holding my hands and promising to love and cherish me for the rest of our lives was no longer faceless. This time, the woman had been Calliope, all smiled and wearing a gorgeous white dress.

I blinked several times, starting at my reflection in the mirror in the locker room. The images in my mind had been so stark, so clear. Almost like it hadn't been a daydream at all. Almost like it had been… a glimpse into the future?

I shook my head. That was ridiculous. It was way too soon to be thinking about that. We hadn't even said 'I love you' to one another. Did I love her?

I considered the question and surprised myself. If I'm not already in love with her, I'm getting there very quickly.

The opening of the locker room door and laughter brought me out of my ponderings. I shook my head and continued getting ready.

Fifteen minutes later, I knocked on Calliope's door and nearly gasped when she opened it. She was absolutely stunning in her black dress and heels. Her hair was nicely curled and she looked refreshed and, yes, very rested.

"You look… wow," Calliope said.

I grinned. "I was going to say the same about you. Ready to go?"

She nodded and grabbed her jacket before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door.

"Where's Liliana?" I asked as she locked the door.

"With George's mom," she replied. "She has to be one of the sweetest women I've ever met and she's been watching her a lot lately."

I smiled and took her hand, bringing it to my lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "You look _very_ rested, milady."

"Oh, I am," she replied with a grin. We entered the elevator and she turned to me, her expression a little more serious. "Thank you," she said. "For everything. I… I don't know what I'd do without you."

I smiled and hooked my arms around her neck. "You'd think of something, but you don't have to now. I just want my Calliope back."

Throughout the ceremony, all I could think about was dragging Calliope home and finally having my way with her. The ceremony was beautiful, but I'd rather be in her arms right now, not sitting in this cramped pew.

The couple at the alter kissed and we all applauded. I turned to smile at Calliope and she returned my gaze, leaning in to gently kiss my cheek. Her eyes conveyed all her emotions-relief, happiness, aroused-and I nearly swooned.

As much as I wanted to take off right after the ceremony, I knew it would be rude of us to not at least make an appearance at the reception. Calliope pouted.

"We don't want to be rude," I insisted as the sanctuary cleared and people headed to the reception hall.

Calliope rolled her eyes. "This is the woman who slept with my husband we're talking about. 'Polite' is not what I'd call her."

"Calliope," I warned.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"Fifteen minutes," I said. "We'll make our rounds, then leave. Okay?"

She nodded and we followed the crowd. There were a lot of people already dancing and enjoying the buffet and I immediately spotted the two newlyweds at a table. Karev looked worried about his bride. Stevens looked exhausted, but happy to be around her friends and coworkers.

I glanced over at Calliope and saw how uncomfortable she was. "You really don't want to be here do you?"

She smiled awkwardly. "Not really. I'd rather be alone with you."

I gripped her hand tighter and pulled her towards the exit, smiling at people as we passed. The ride back to Calliope's apartment was quiet and full of sexual tension, but not in an unpleasant way. We were both eager to get into her apartment as she fumbled with the keys, dropping them in her haste.

I laughed and bent to pick them up, gliding the key into the lock and turning it to open the door. As soon as the door closed behind us, I pushed Calliope back against it, pressing my front to hers so our entire bodies met from chest to knees. I pinned her hands above her head. But I didn't kiss her. Not yet.

My lips hovered an inch from hers, pulling back slightly when she moved her head forward to try and capture mine with hers. I shook my head slightly and chuckled when she whimpered.

"Patience, Calliope," I teased. She shot me a glare and I couldn't help but grin. "Don't move your hands," I instructed in a commanding voice, waiting until she nodded to let go and bring my hands to her waist briefly before moving up to remove her jacket, indicating that she should return her hands to the spot above her had when the garment was removed. I stepped back slightly to take her in. I breathed in the spicy aroma that was pure Calliope. Exotic was the word I'd used to describe it. Like a Tropical breeze.

I finally allowed my lips to brush against hers in several light, butterfly kisses, but never allowing for full contact. This garnered another groan of protest from Calliope.

After several minutes of teasing, she spoke. "As much as I'm enjoying your _teasing_," she said. "We should, um, move to the bedroom. Cristina could be home any minute." She blushed slightly when she said it, making me grin.

I nodded and began to make my way to her bedroom before she stopped me. "Your coat," she said, standing behind me and sliding the material down my arms. I smiled over my shoulder as she hung it up. I reached out a hand and she took it with a huge smile.

Once in her bedroom, I immediately began where we left off, pushing her against the wall and moving her hands up above her head. "Don't move," I reminded her. This time I rewarded her with a deeper kiss, pressing my lips to hers and allowing my tongue to glide across her full lips, urging them to part. Calliope's nimble tongue met mine and we both groaned.

As our lips and tongues caressed, my hands moved up to ghost over her breasts, not quite touching but close enough so that she moaned in protest. She pulled her lips away from mine, her breathing ragged. "I swear, if you don't touch me soon I'm gonna…" she warned.

"You'll what Calliope?" I asked, burying my face in her neck, my lips brushing the smooth skin just below her ear. "Because you don't seem to be in a very threatening position," I whispered seductively into her ear, then allowed my teeth to capture her earlobe lightly.

She groaned again and pressed her hips forward into mine. What she didn't realize is that by teasing her, I'd been teasing myself, so I was just as anxious to feel her naked skin against mine.

I moved my hand to the zipper on the back of her dress and slowly began to tug it down.

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

I lay in my bed on my side, staring at the beautiful woman mere inches away from me and I feel like pinching myself to prove that I'm not, in fact, dreaming. Arizona's grinning like the Cheshire cat and twirling a lock of my hair with her fingers while my arm is draped over her side, my fingers tracing random patterns over her smooth back and shoulders. Our bare legs were entangled under the covers. We both lay on our sides with our heads propped on our bent arms, elbows resting on the pillows.

"That was so worth being impolite," Arizona said.

I chuckled. "Told ya," I replied, then got serious. "I'm really glad you gave me a second chance," I said. "Or, I guess, a third chance. First I was a newborn, then I had a newborn…" Looking back, I could laugh about it now.

Arizona looked sheepish and her cheeks flushed pink. "You were just too awesome to let go," she murmured and burrowed deeper beneath the covers. She began placing tiny kisses against my collarbone.

I chuckled. "As much as I'd like to start all over," I said, pulling her up to look me in the eye. "You wore me out and I need sustenance to re-boost my energy."

Arizona smacked her lips. "Food. Yeah. I'm starving. Pizza?"

"My thoughts exactly," I replied with a grin.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

After we devoured the entire large supreme pizza, we made love again before talking well into the night. I had talked Calliope into allowing someone else to take her shift tomorrow and I had the day off, so we planned to spend the entire day together. I insisted that we should go pick Liliana up from her grandmother's in the morning and Calliope quickly agreed. I can see that the past week has worn her out and she missed her baby girl.

_I_ missed her baby girl. That thought should scare me, but it doesn't. In the short time we've been together, I've fallen in love with Calliope's daughter and even though I was still hesitant when it came to basic care of an infant, I was a quick learner. Hey, I'm a surgeon. Give me a baby with a birth defect or bowel obstruction and I was confident, but taking care of a baby was a whole 'nother story.

I had Calliope to help me, though, and I was confident that, with her by my side, I could one day make a very good mother.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** Just Because (9/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** And the story line deviation continues… : )

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

"Ooh! Let's get ice cream!" a very enthused Arizona said, pointing excitedly to an ice cream parlor while jumping up and down a few times like a little kid. I couldn't help but grin at her child-like mannerisms.

"You _just_ ate a huge cheeseburger with a mountain of fries," I pointed out with a smile. "How do you even have _room_ for ice cream?"

Arizona turned towards me and gave me a full-force smile, dimples and all. "_Because_," she stressed. "I always have room for ice cream! Come one. I hope they have peanut butter." She set off towards the tiny shop.

I rolled my eyes, but followed, pushing Liliana's stroller in front of me. The three of us had spend the entire day together so far. Arizona and I had picked up Liliana at Louise's (George's mother) first thing this morning. That had been a bit awkward since I hadn't even thought to mention that I'm dating someone. Who happens to be a woman. I'm not sure she fully realized that Arizona was more than a friend, though. I made a mental note to have _that_ conversation with Louise soon. Very soon. Before George said anything to her. I hoped she'd be okay with it. But I'm not going to worry about that now.

After picking Liliana up, we'd gone out to breakfast before riding leisurely around Seattle, stopping to do shopping here and there. Well, Arizona shopped. I mainly looked at things longingly before placing them back on the rack.

But Arizona didn't shop for herself. She dragged me into a baby store and kept picking things out for Liliana - clothes, shoes, toys. I tried to say no, but she flashed me those damn dimples and I was a goner. When did become so whipped?

After shopping, we strolled around downtown, taking in the rare partly-cloudy day until it was time for a late lunch of burgers and fries. I knew I'd regret the calorie-rich meal later, but it had been so long since I'd had a burger that I didn't care.

And now, here we were in a tiny ice cream parlor after devouring a gigantic meal. I couldn't even look at the ice cream. I was too fully. But I was happy to allow Arizona to eat to her heart's content.

"I think I'll have a double scoop of the double chocolate chip peanut butter extravaganza," Arizona said to the teenaged boy behind the counter. She turned to me. "What do you want, Calliope?"

I shook my head. "I, unlike you, am not a bottomless pit and can't possibly eat anything else right now."

Arizona shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I chuckled and pushed Liliana's stroller to a booth in the corner to wait on Arizona as she paid and got her ice cream. I looked into the stroller and noticed that Liliana beginning to get fussy. "Hey, baby girl," I cooed as I gently picked her up from the stroller and held her in my lap.

I was rooting in her diaper bag for a bottle when Arizona sat across from me, already digging into her ice cream.

"I think this is the last stop for today," I said, holding the bottle for Liliana to suckle. "She's getting fussy."

Arizona nodded. "I somehow managed to get two days off in a row," she said. "You work tomorrow, right?"

I nodded. "My shift starts at six," I said with disdain. I despise getting up that early. I'm so not a morning person.

Arizona chuckled at my obvious dislike of the early morning hours. I shot her a playful glare and she ducked behind another bit of her ice cream.

"Mmmm," she sighed, her eyes rolling upwards in pleasure. "Calliope, you're really missing out," she said.

"Yeah, missing out on a stomach ache," I shot back.

"But it's soooo good," Arizona groaned. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischievousness and I raised an eyebrow. "So rich and creamy," she continued, spooning another bite into her mouth. She rolled her tongue over her lips and I nearly gasped aloud. She laughed when she noticed my reaction.

"Meanie," I said beneath my breath, turning my attention to the bundle in my arms sucking away noisily at the bottle.

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

"I have to go to work," Calliope protested. I ignored her and continued kissing my way down her neck. "Arizona," she groaned and pushed me away. I pouted and she chuckled. "Trust me, I don't want you to stop," she said. "But I need to get ready now or I'll be late."

I sighed and rolled off her. "Stupid work," I muttered. Calliope laughed and got out of bed. I unabashedly studied her as she walked to the bathroom naked and started the shower.

I sighed again and got up and threw on some shorts and a t-shirt before padding out to the kitchen to start some coffee. I was startled when I came face to face with Cristina Yang in the kitchen glaring the coffee pot.

"Morning," I chirped. She looked up and gave me the same glare before returning her gaze to the coffee pot, as if staring at it would make it brew faster.

"Whatever," she muttered.

Okay, not a morning person, I thought to myself.

Cristina finally poured a cup of coffee and took it back to her room, never giving me a second glance. I shrugged and poured myself a cup, adding sugar and cream. Minutes later, Calliope entered the kitchen fresh from her shower and kissed me quickly before pouring herself a cup.

She glanced at the clock above the oven and her eyes widened. "See? I'm gonna be late," she groaned. "And I haven't gotten Liliana ready to take to the daycare."

I could tell she was getting flustered, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "I can watch her today," I said, surprising myself.

Calliope's eyebrows raised and she looked at me questioningly.

"I mean, I understand if you're not comfortable with it," I hurried. "I just thought that it would be the simplest solution…" I trailed off and felt my cheeks turn red. I shrugged. "But whatever."

"I have no problem with letting you watch her," Calliope said. "I just wasn't sure you'd be willing to."

I grinned. "I want to. And you need to leave like, now, if you want to be on time," I pointed out.

"You're sure?" she asked, putting on her leather jacket.

"Go. We'll be fine."

"You can call me with any questions, you know," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Calliope. I'm a doctor. A pediatric surgeon. She'll be fine."

She grinned and leaned down to give be a goodbye kiss. "It's not her I'm worried about," she said. "My shift ends at three."

She left and I grinned, looking forward to proving to Calliope that I could handle this. Actually, I wasn't proving anything to Calliope, per say. I was proving this to myself. I can handle this. I repeated those words in my head and I returned to Calliope's bedroom to try and catch a few more minutes of sleep, knowing from the few times I've spent the night that Liliana was due to wake up within the hour.

I'd barely fallen asleep when, sure enough, I heard Liliana's cries through the baby monitor and I sat up with a start, momentarily disoriented.

I shook my head to clear it and hurried into Liliana's room. "Hey, sweetie," I said softly as I picked her up and cradled her to my chest, careful to support her neck and head. I laid her on the changing table and mentally went over everything in my head Calliope had taught me about changing a diaper before attempting it for the first time by myself.

"I can do this," I said in a sing song voice, directing it at Liliana, but needing to hear it myself. Five minutes, six wet wipes and two diapers later, I pumped my fist into the air in triumph and did a little happy dance at successfully changing the diaper.

But Liliana was not so easily impressed and quickly began crying again.

I felt myself start to panic before classicizing myself. Babies cry. I can handle this. I picked her up and bounded her slightly, trying to figure out what she wanted.

Food! Maybe she was hungry. I walked out to the kitchen, still holding her and searched the cupboards for baby formula. I grabbed the can from a shelf and quickly scanned the directions. Seems simple enough, I thought to myself with a nod.

I sat on the couch feeding Liliana, glad that that had seemed to be what she'd been crying for. As I cradled her on my lap and held the bottle, I took the moment to study her. I could already see the striking resemblance to Calliope. She already had a full head of curly black hair and she had Calliope's eyes.

I settled in on the couch with a baby in my lap and suddenly chuckled at my life. I'd sworn I'd never fall for another woman with a child. Boy, had I been so wrong.

I've never been more happy to be wrong.

* * *

[_Callie's POV_]

Since Arizona had the day off and Mark was in surgery, I decided to eat my lunch in the lounge. First thing I did was call Arizona.

She answered on the second ring. "She's fine, Calliope," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice.

I smiled. "I know. I'm just checking in. Making sure that _you_ are okay."

"I'm fine, too. There was a little, ah, diaper incident earlier, but all is well now."

I chuckled. "I never doubted you, Arizona," I told her.

She went quiet for a second. "Thanks," she said softly. "I can honestly say that this has been an amazing experience."

"What? Babysitting?"

She laughed softly. "No, silly. Well, yes, but that's not what I meant. I meant you and Liliana. Us. Thank you for being so patient with me."

I smiled broadly. "Thank _you_ for giving us a chance." I heard Liliana start to cry in the background and let her go, smiling down into my pitiful lunch.

I was nonchalantly flipping through an issue of Orthopedics Journal of Medicine when the door to the lounge opened. I looked up to see a startled George.

"Sorry," he said. "I was looking for Bailey. Have you seen her?"

I shook my head. "Haven't seen her all day." I took another bite of my lunch as an awkward silence overcame us. I thought back to the brief time when conversation had been easy between us and nearly laughed aloud at the vast difference between then and now.

"Can I take Liliana tonight?" George suddenly asked. "My schedule got switched around, so I'm working on Friday and won't be able to take her then."

Yeah. That's pretty much all we talk about now; Liliana.

"Sure," I answered, not really wanting to say yes, but knowing I had no reason to say no.

"Thanks," he said and turned to leave. But he paused and turned back to me.

"What?" I asked when he didn't immediately say anything.

He hesitated a bit before closing the door and sitting across the table from me. "Are you… I mean, um…"

I raised my eyebrows at him, wanting him to spit it out.

He sighed and finally met my eyes. "Are you and Dr. Robbins… together? Like, _romantically_ together?"

I nearly laughed aloud at that until I realized that he was seriously asking me. I must have looked confused because he quickly continued.

"I've heard the gossip, but you know you can't believe everything you hear within these halls. And I'm sorry if I'm wrong or if I offended you, but I've also noticed that you and Dr. Robbins have been spending a lot of time together and-"

"George!" I interrupted him. I hadn't actively thought about officially coming out to my ex-husband, but there's no time like the present, I guess. "The gossip you've heard isn't wrong," I said, my voice daring him to say something negative. In our short-lived 'romance' the topic of homosexuality had never arisen, so I honestly have no idea what his views are on the subject.

"Oh," was all he said and stared at his hands in his lap. "So, are you… gay then?"

I considered his question carefully for a moment before answering. "Why do I have to label myself?" I asked. "I'm with Arizona. I like Arizona. A lot. She's good to me. If that makes me gay, then I guess I'm gay."

He nodded slightly and I wondered what he was thinking. I really didn't care what most people thought about my relationship with Arizona, but I did care what George thought. We have a child together. If he had an issue with it, he could become really difficult to coordinate Liliana's care. I've recently read some articles about fathers who have tried to gain full custody of their children because the mother had come out as gay. I really don't believe George to be capable of something so malicious, but I'd also never believed that he would cheat on me and look how that had turned out.

"What are you thinking, George?" I asked, needing to know what was going through his head.

George looked up. "Are you happy?" he asked.

I couldn't stop the smile the spread across my face. "I am," I said. "Very happy."

He nodded slightly. "Good," he said softly. "You deserve to be happy and if s-she makes you happy, then I'm happy for you. I hope she treats you a lot better than I did."

I wanted to say something witty about how she wouldn't have to do much, but decided against it. He was trying here and I really did appreciate that.

The rest of the day was pretty slow with just a routine hip replacement and a few broken bones that needed casting. I was anxious to get out of there, so I weaseled another resident to cover my last fifteen minutes and left early.

I opened the door of my apartment and a smile immediately spread across my face. Arizona lay on the couch on her back with Liliana laying on her stomach on Arizona's chest. Both were fast asleep.

It was definitely a Kodak moment and I couldn't resist. I tip toed into my bedroom and grabbed my digital camera. I quickly snapped a picture of the sleeping duo. That's so going to be the new wallpaper on my laptop.

I set the camera down and knelt beside the couch. I gently stroked Arizona's cheek with the back of my index finger and her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," I whispered. She looked momentarily dazed before smiling at me.

"Hey yourself," she replied. She looked down at Liliana. "She wouldn't go to sleep in her crib, so…"

I chuckled. "Yeah, she's a little spoiled between Louise, Cristina and I." I rubbed my hand gently over Liliana's back.

"Cristina? Really?"

"You'd be surprised."

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I was surprised. A week later, I walked out of Calliope's bedroom to find Cristina holding Liliana high above her head as she spun slowly around, talking in a high-pitched voice that sounded completely foreign coming from her.

I stopped in my tracks as I watched the display of utter anti-Cristina Yang in front of me, barely containing my laughter.

I cleared my throat and Cristina jumped slightly. She stopped spinning and looked at me, her expression resembling that of a deer caught in headlights. She quickly regained her composure and lowered Liliana, cradling the tiny human against her chest. "You tell _anyone_," she started.

I stopped her. "I won't tell a soul," I said. I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"So, since Callie's not here, why are you?" Cristina asked, placing Liliana in the automatic swing.

Even with how little I knew Calliope's roommate, I knew not to take offence to Cristina's blunt question. I sipped my coffee before answering. "She was paged early this morning and told me I could stay until my shift started."

She seemed to accept that answer and began walking to her room. "So you can take her to the daycare, then?" She didn't wait for my answer before closing her bedroom door behind her.

I rolled my eyes, glad I'd already planned on doing just that and still had plenty of time to get myself and Liliana ready.

Calliope met us at the entrance of the hospital and took Liliana from me before leaning down to give me a soft kiss hello. "Thanks for getting her ready and brining her," she said to me.

I smiled as we made our way to the elevators, "It's no problem, really. I enjoy it."

Calliope grinned as we entered the elevator. "See? I knew you'd get the hang of it quickly."

I reached over and ran my hand over Liliana's back and smiled up at Calliope. "I did. And I'm starting to feel like a mom."


	10. A Note From the Author

**A Note from Lauren (aka iheartCallieTorres):**

Sorry, guys, this isn't an update, but I wanted to let y'all know that I posted a _supplemental_ fic to JB entitled "Just Because I Can't Keep My Hands Off of You." It's rated M, so I decided to post as a separate fic so I didn't have to change the rating on this one. If M isn't your thing, however, that's alright because there is absolutely no plot development. It's just a bit of sexy-time hotness/sweetness that I wanted to get out there. You can either read it or not and you won't miss a thing plot-wise. But, if you do get a chance and want to read it, please do and remember to REVIEW! : ) You know, the reviews that I get are what encourage me to write and post quicker. Just sayin'… : ) Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 10

**Title:** Just Because (10/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** And the story line deviation continues some more… : ) And I'd like to thank my Twitter Twin, USofCalzona, for all the encouragement and ideas! You're an _awesome _cheerleader! (And I mean that in the nicest possible way. lol). *\o/*

**Note: Flashbacks are in **_**italics**_**.**

**

* * *

**

[_Callie's POV_]

I felt numb as I clutched a fussy Liliana to my chest. As a doctor, you can never fully imagine what it's like to be in the waiting room, just… _waiting_ until you're the one in the room, pacing back and forth, hoping, begging, praying for a miracle.

And no one would tell me what was going on.

Two of the most important people in my life were somewhere in this hospital being treated for injuries and no one would even tell me if they were serious injuries or not. I'd just gotten a call from Mark saying that I needed to get to the hospital because these two people had been hurt. He'd promised to keep me updated, but I haven't seen him since I got here over an hour ago. What the hell?

I'd paged him ten times already, but got no answer. I was about to go postal and threaten someone, a nurse, a fellow surgeon, _someone _until they told me _something_. Anything.

"Callie."

I jumped at the sound of my name and turned to see Mark, _finally!_ "Mark! What the hell is going on? I haven't been able to get answers from anyone."

He grabbed my arm gently and began leading me down a hallway. He still hadn't said anything other than my name.

"Mark?" I questioned, my heart plunging in my chest. "Where's Arizona?"

He stopped outside a room and opened the door for me. "In here."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV - 3 hours earlier]_

I decided to pick up a few things at the drugstore just down the street from Calliope's apartment before meeting her for our night in. I knew she was running low on baby wipes for Liliana and I needed another toothbrush to keep over there so I didn't have to keep toting mine back and forth. I'd forgotten mine at my apartment last night in my haste to pack an overnight bag and had to do the old-fashioned toothpaste on a washcloth bit. I much prefer a toothbrush and I picked out a bright pink Hello Kitty one. Perfect, I thought.

After grabbing a few more items, I headed to the checkout counter and took my place in line behind a scruffy-looking man in paint-covered jeans.

"Dr. Robbins," a voice said from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and was surprised to see George O'Malley standing in line behind me.

"O'Malley," I greeted with a smile. Things had been a bit tense between the two of us since Calliope and I had begun dating, but a certain conversation two days prior had helped to clear the air between us, for which I was grateful…

_I sat in my office filling out what seemed to be endless paperwork. That's the one part of my job, aside from losing patients, that I detest. Paperwork. _

_My office was located in a fairly secluded part of the peds wing, so I was startled when there was a knock on my door. Especially since it was nearing 11:00 PM. _

"_Come in!" I called out, semi-annoyed at being interrupted. This paperwork was all that was keeping me from Calliope's arms. It was the last thing I needed to do before making my final rounds and leaving. _

_I was surprised to see George O'Malley stick his head into my office. "Dr. Robbins, can I… talk to you for a minute?"_

_I raised my eyebrows slightly, but nodded. "Sure," I said carefully, not really sure what this was about. Calliope had told me about her conversation with George the other day about our relationship, so I'm not sure what to expect. "Have a seat," I said, staying seated behind my desk. I wanted to feel like I was in charge, in control. _

_He sat and started at his hands in his lap for a moment._

"_What can I do for you, O'Malley?" I asked, beginning to get annoyed. _

_He took a deep breath and looked up. "I know that I have no right to come here and… and act like a protector of sorts, but I still care about her. Callie."_

_A light bulb suddenly went off in my head. "Seriously?" I asked, amazed. "You're giving me the 'hurt her and you'll regret it' speech? Really?" Now, I was starting to get angry._

"_I know! I know," he said, throwing up both hands in front of him, palms out. "I of all people shouldn't be the one trying to protect her, but yet here I sit. I know I hurt her and I really do feel awful about that. If I could change it, I would. But I can't. And she's the mother of my child."_

"_You're right when you say that you have no right to come to me and play protector," I quipped. "You nearly broke her."_

_George sighed heavily and sunk down slightly in his chair, looking slightly defeated. "I was an idiot, I know," he said in a small voice. "But that doesn't mean I didn't love her in my own twisted way. I still love her and want her to be happy. She deserves to be happy." He looked up at me with pleading eyes. "And it's obvious that you make her happy. I don't want to see that taken away from her."_

_I was speechless. I wanted to hate the guy for what he put Calliope, my sweet, loving Calliope, through, but how could I hate the guy sitting in front of me, stripped of all his pride and dignity just to ensure her happiness? I couldn't. _

"_You amaze me, Dr. O'Malley," I said softly. "And you're a great father. Liliana's lucky to have a dad like you, you know." _

_He nodded and I saw a slight blush grace his cheeks before he ducked his head. "I had a good teacher," he said. "I just try and be like my own dad." _

_I offered him a sad smile. Calliope had told me about his father dying just before they'd gotten married and how it had affected him. "He'd be proud of you," I said. "And I promise to never intentionally hurt Calliope. I promise to make her happy for as long as she'll let me."_

"How's the Mason girl doing?" George asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, she's doing great!" I said excitedly. Amy Mason was a seven-year-old girl with a large stomach tumor that we'd operated on yesterday. George had been on Mark's service and had been present in the OR for the successful surgery. "She's being discharged tomorrow."

George nodded. "Good," he said. An awkward silence fell over us. We'd come to a sort of truce since our conversation in my office, but we were still far from friends.

I stepped up a place in line as the guy in front of me got to the checkout counter. I turned to ask George a question when suddenly the girl behind the counter screeched out in terror. I spun around just as I felt an iron grip on my arm, causing me to drop everything that I was holding in my arms. I cried out in pain at the rough hand on my upper arm, strong fingers biting into my flesh.

I was suddenly swung around so that my back was to the man's chest. His arm held me tightly to him and I saw a flash of metal before the stark coldness against my neck caused me to freeze in terror.

"Everybody do as I say or the bitch gets it!" I heard a ruff voice yell. I started to panic when I realized that the voice was coming from the guy that was currently holding me captive and pressing what I assume to be the blade of a deadly knife to my throat.

My eyes met the gaze of a terrified George.

"Just put the knife down," another man in a bright red jacket of about twenty-five years of age implored. The strong arm around my torso tightened painfully and I struggled to breathe.

"She didn't do anything to you," George cut in having finally found his voice. "Just let her go."

"I'll… I'll give you what's in the drawer," the terror-stricken girl behind the counter said, quickly opening the drawer and pulling out all the bills.

"The safe! I want what's in the safe!" I heard him yell out.

"I don't have the keys to the safe," the girl said. "I'm just a part-time employee. Please!" she pleaded, pushing the money towards the man. I silently pleaded that he'd take the money and run.

A moment of silence fell as the knife-wielding man seemed to take in what the girl had told him. The sound of sirens off in the distance suddenly infiltrated the silent store.

"Fuck!" the man cursed.

The next several seconds were a blur. I felt the man's arm loosen just slightly as he shifted his attention away from me to the outside world. I knew that that split second would be my only opportunity to escape his terrifying grip. I gripped the arm holding the blade to my neck and pushed with all my might while dropping my weight to the ground, effectively falling out of the assailant's grip. I had surprised him, throwing him off balance momentarily. I moved to scurry away as fast as possible, but the man quickly regained his senses and grabbed my arm, jerking me to a standing position. I saw the swing of a knife-wielding hand coming towards me and I braced myself for impact, closing my eyes. I saw Calliope. I saw Liliana. I saw my family and friends. I saw my patients. And I felt my heart clench at the thought of leaving them all behind.

Then I felt like I was flying through the air. And then I felt pain.

But not the searing pain in my chest that I'd been expecting from a stab wound.

Instead, it felt like my head was going to explode and my left shoulder felt like someone had yanked it out of it's socket. I opened my eyes and realized that I was one the floor. I saw a pool of red and tried to lift my hand, my left hand, to my head, but realized with a gasp of pain that my shoulder had, in fact, been dislocated. I used my other hand to wipe my forehead and winced when I felt a deep gash. I must have been thrown against the shelves.

The sounds of screams and cries suddenly filled my ears and I slowly sat up, holding pressure to the gash on my forehead with my palm. I looked around and had to stifle a scream of horror at the sight before me. George and the man in the red jacket were trying to wrestle the knife out of the criminal's hand, but the large guy was putting up a good fight. Red jacket man managed to capture his free hand behind his back and George made a lunge for the knife, nearly succeeding in getting it away from him, but the man made a surprise move, throwing all his weight into red jacket man. Red jacket man lost his grip and fell to the ground.

The robber yanked his arm away from George's grip and moved towards me again, a determined look on his face, complete with a disturbing smile. I moved back as far as I could, beginning to panic.

"Get up," he ordered, grabbing my injured arm and pulling me to a standing position, causing me to cry out loudly in pain. The police were here by now, standing outside the large plate glass windows, ordering him to put down his knife. The man didn't obey.

He moved to resume his hostage position behind me when I was suddenly jerked out of his grip once again. "Don't touch her!" I heard George yell before I was once again thrown to the ground. I turned just in time to see the large knife pierce George's abdomen. Three times.

* * *

_[Callie's POV - Present]_

"Arizona," I whispered softly, cupping her bruised cheek and willing her to open her eyes. "Wake up, baby," I begged softly.

"She's still under anesthesia from surgery, Cal," Mark said gently from beside me.

I looked up at him and gripped Arizona's limp hand. "What the hell happened?"

He shook his head. "I don't know the whole story, but there was a robbery at the store down the street. Some guy held the place up with a knife. I don't know how, but apparently she and George were both there and both hurt. She sustained a dislocated shoulder that Dr. Cheng had to fix surgically and a pretty severe laceration to her forehead that needed several stitches. She has a pretty bad concussion, but an MRI shows that there's no brain hemorrhage. She'll be fine."

I collapsed into a chair in relief at those last words and felt tears rolling down my cheeks. I was still in disbelief that this could have happened to her.

A thought suddenly occurred to me and I looked up at Mark once again. "And… and George?"

Mark refused to meet my gaze as he sat in the chair next to me and started at his feet. "He was stabbed," he said quietly. I inhaled sharply at those words. "Three times," Mark continued. He reached out and took the hand that wasn't clutching Arizona's. "In the abdomen. There was… a lot of bleeding and internal damage. They're still working on him in the OR. Bailey, Webber and Hunt, but… it… it doesn't look good."

I felt myself begin to hyperventilate as the word tumbled out of Mark's mouth and I clutched my chest. This couldn't be happening. Not to George. Not to Liliana.

Mark rubbed my back and forced me to lean forward so that my head rested between my knees in order to help restore my breathing to normal. I finally sat up and buried my face in Mark's shoulder. "He can't die," I cried. "Liliana needs a father. And… and… he just can't die."

I cried into his should for a few more minutes before I made him leave to get an update from the OR. I knew the chances of George surviving were slim, but I refused to give up hope. I continued to sit at Arizona's bedside, stroking her hand and praying for her to wake up soon.

A few minutes after Mark left, I felt her shift slightly and I lifted my head from where it rested on her hospital bed. "Arizona?" I urged. "Wake up, please." I needed to see her eyes, to hear her talk. I had to know without a doubt that she was alright and wasn't going to leave me.

"Calliope?" she groaned in a feeble voice.

"I'm here, Arizona," I answered softly, gripping her hand and running my fingers over her un-bruised cheek. "Open your eyes, sweetheart," I urged.

She blinked a few times before focusing on me, looking momentarily confused. "Wha…? What's going on?"

I leaned down to kiss her forehead softly, on the uninjured side. "Thank God you're okay," I whispered. "There was a robbery at the store you were in. That's all I really know."

Arizona's eyes watered. "I thought that was just a bad dream," she said, then her eyes widened. "What about George? Is he okay?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. He's still in surgery."

"No, he's not," a quiet voice said from the doorway, startling us both. We looked up to see Mark standing there, head bowed and I knew what that meant.

"He's dead, isn't he?" I asked bluntly, feeling numb all of a sudden. I heard Arizona gasp, which brought me out of my daze just a little bit. I glanced worriedly at her at braced myself, preparing myself to hear what I already knew. But I had to be strong.

Mark nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I'm so sorry, Callie. There was too much bleeding and too much internal damage. There was nothing anyone could do to save him."

I felt Arizona's hand grip mine tightly as tears rolled freely down my cheeks. Mark wisely left us to be alone.

"I'm so sorry, Calliope," I heard Arizona whisper.

I brought her hand to my lips and kissed the back of her hand. "Shhh," I hushed her. "It wasn't your fault."

That made her cry even harder and my concern grew. "But it was my fault," she cried. "He… he got between the robber and me. He was trying to save me. It's my fault he's dead. It's my fault Liliana will have to grow up without a father."

She was nearly hysterical now and I had to literally place my hand over her mouth to get her to stop talking. "Arizona! Listen to me," I insisted. I waited until she locked gazes with me. "It's not your fault. You hear me? It's that son of bitch with the knife that stabbed him. Okay? You have nothing to be sorry about. He died saving you and probably everyone else in that store. He's a hero, Arizona. Let him die a hero."

I knew exactly how to appeal to her sense of hero-mentality. She'd told me the story of how her brother had died a hero, as had her grandfather. I knew that that meant something to her and I had to get through to her that this wasn't her fault and that she didn't need to be placing that weight on her shoulders. It would kill me to know that she blamed herself for this. Not when she didn't do anything to deserve it.

The regret and pain in Arizona's baby blue eyes turned to sorrow, but were no longer filled with guilt. "He's a hero?"

I nodded. "Of course he is," I said softly. "He saved you."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I wanted to believe Calliope and not feel guilty, but I did. If I had just been a little bit quicker or a little bit wiser, George wouldn't have had to step between us. He'd still be alive. And I wouldn't be standing here in a cemetery listening to the religious words uttered by the man in a long black robe. I wouldn't be reminded of that day five years ago when I'd stood in the airplane hanger alongside my parents as they unloaded my brother's casket and slid it into the back of a hearse.

Logically, I knew it wasn't really my fault. It was Curtis Palmer's fault. The guy with the knife that police had caught and arrested the same day. The guy that had murdered my girlfriend's ex-husband.

I couldn't look at George's mom and brothers as they wept over his grave. I stayed with Mark after the service while Calliope went to talk with them, hugging Louise tightly and trying her best to console her.

I watched from my location a good twenty feet away, but I could still feel the ultimate sadness and absolute low feeling radiating off the older woman.

It reminded me of _that_ day and I suddenly felt claustrophobic. Like I was suffocating.

I turned and walked away.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I had soooooo much trouble with this chapter! That's why it took me a bit longer to update than usual. I loved George (most of the time) and I hated to keep that part of the storyline the same, but I think it's necessary in this case. And it adds drama, don't you think? I did decided to deviate from the original Grey's story line a bit because I just don't know that he would have joined the Army if he had a child. He may have, he may not have. In my story, he didn't because I have creative license. lol. Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me and I hope you're enjoying this fic! And thanks so much for all the reviews! That's really what keeps me motivated to continue with this story, so if you want more, that's a hint to review. ; )

xoxox

Lauren


	12. Chapter 11

**Title:** Just Because (11/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** And the story line deviation continues even more… : )

* * *

[_Arizona's POV_]

I walked for a while around the cemetery to try and clear my head and gather my thoughts. Standing there, surrounded by grieving people, reminded me too much of my brother's funeral. And seeing George's grief-stricken family reminded me that it was me who he had died in order to save.

In the logical part of my brain, I knew it wasn't my fault, but the voice in the emotional part of my brain kept reminding me that it had been me that George had been protecting. The emotional part of my brain kept telling me that George's family members and friends were feeling everything me and my family had felt when we'd had to bury my brother.

With all those still-raw emotional flooding back to me, I couldn't take it any longer. I had to get out of there.

As I was aimlessly wandering the rows of headstones and trying not to think of the fact that dead bodies were a mere six feet below the surface, one headstone in particular stuck out to me and made me pause and choke back a sob as I read it.

**MAJOR ADAM HEATHROW LANG**

**United States Marine Corps**

_Loving son, husband, brother _

_& United States Marine._

_Semper Fi._

Born on August 30, 1972

Died a Hero on March 12, 2008

I immediately lost the battle with my tears as I read the carvings on the large chunk of cement. No longer concerned with staying on the pathway, I made my way over to the grave of a man I hadn't known but still felt a deep connection to and fell to my knees beside it, lightly running my fingertips across the name. I choked on a sob as more tears made their way down my cheeks.

"Um, hello?" a hesitant voice said from several feet behind me a few minutes later. I looked over my shoulder, startled, and jumped to my feet. A short blonde woman stood on the pathway looking at me curiously while holding flowers in one hand.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, wiping my tears. I took a few steps away from the grave, assuming the woman was a relative of the fallen soldier and wanting to give her privacy.

"Did you know him?" the woman asked before I'd taken more than three steps. "Were you in his platoon or something?"

I shook my head. "I didn't know him," I said weakly, not knowing how to explain myself. "I-My brother died in the line of duty and-and I just saw his grave," I said, indicating the grave I'd been kneeling at. "and it-it reminded me of him…" I shrugged. "You probably think I'm crazy now. I'm sorry for intruding."

I turned to leave, but was stopped once again. "How long has it been?"

I didn't have to ask what she meant. "Three years in September," I answered, remembering the exact date we'd received that awful phone call - September 14, 2007.

"He was my brother, too," the woman said as she laid the flowers on the grave. "Were you two close?"

I nodded. "We were only eleven months apart," I explained. "And very close. He was my best friend growing up."

Silence fell over us as the woman continued to stare at her brother's grave and thoughts of my brother infiltrated my mind.

"Does it get easier?" the woman asked suddenly, her voice so soft.

I took a deep breath. "There are times when I forget that he's dead," I said. "Something good will happen and my first thought is to call him and tell him. But then I remember that he's dead." I looked up at her. "Those are the worst times. But those times start to fade. I still miss him every day, but it helps to remember that he died for a cause; that he died a hero."

The woman seemed to take in my words for a moment before looking me in the eye. "Thank you," she said. "It's nice to talk to someone who knows what I'm going through."

I nodded. "Thank you, as well. Talking helped me, too."

"I'm glad I could help _somebody_," the woman said with a slight chuckle. "I'm Kathryn, by the way. Kathryn Lang."

I stepped forward to shake her hand. "Arizona Robbins," I replied. A sudden rumble of thunder reminded me that I should be making my way back. "I should be getting back," I said, dropping her hand. "It was nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she said. "I hope that whatever had you so upset in the first place gets worked out."

"Thanks," I said and smiled softly before turning and walking back in the direction I came. I needed to find Calliope. I'm sure she's probably frantic over my sudden disappearance by now.

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" I practically yelled at Mark. "She was standing here with you."

"I'm not her babysitter, Cal," Mark replied, annoyed. I knew I was unrightfully taking my worry out on him, but I didn't care. I just wanted to know where Arizona was.

"Here," I said, handing him Liliana. "Take her and I'm going to go look for her."

I didn't wait for a reply before immediately setting off in the direction that Cristina had said she'd seen Arizona walk. I'd gone several hundred yards before I saw her round a corner and come into my sight. "Arizona!" I called out and quickened my pace as it began to rain.

She looked up and stopped, seemingly distracted as I walked up to her.

"Where have you been? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, Calliope," she hurried out. "I just needed a minute to myself. I didn't mean to scare you."

I gave her a worried look. "Are you sure you're okay?" I implored.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I should be the one asking you if you're okay."

I tried to answer in the affirmative, but I started to get choked up and tears began to well in my eyes.

Arizona took my hand and squeezed it gently. "You want to go home?" she asked. I could only nod. We walked back to the slowly thinning crowd of people that had moved to a covered area in the quickly increasing rainfall. Mark looked at us worriedly as we approached.

"We're going to head out," Arizona explained. "I think she's about to break," I heard her say softly to Mark. I knew I wasn't supposed to hear that, but I couldn't muster the energy to care. Mark offered me a worried look and I reached to take Liliana from him in attempt to hide my grief.

"Why don't Lexie and I keep her tonight?" Mark offered. "You could probably use a night to yourself. Besides, Lexie loves playing mother."

At first I wanted to refuse, but then I realized that he was right. I couldn't be the mother I needed to be if I was so preoccupied. I needed tonight. I nodded and Arizona led me to my car that we'd ridden to the cemetery together in.

"Here," I ground out, handing her the keys. "You drive." She was still healing from the shoulder injury to her left arm, but was still able to drive.

Arizona nodded and opened my door for me before circling the car and getting into the passenger seat. The drive back to my apartment was silent, as was the ride up in the elevator. As soon as we entered the apartment, I dropped my stuff and went into my bedroom, pulling at my rain-soaked clothes, suddenly feeling cold and in desperate need of a hot shower.

Arizona, already in tune with my every need, followed me into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower before turning to help me discard my wet clothes. I in turn helped her with her own clothes, careful of her shoulder. We stepped under the hot water, both sighing in relief as the heat enveloped us.

Though we've shared many a sexy shower together in the past few months, there was nothing sexual about this one. We made quick work of our hair, me helping her with hers because she couldn't raise her right arm high enough to scrub. Then we used a loofa lathered with coconut-scented body wash to cleanse each other's bodies.

Finally clean and no longer cold, Arizona turned off the water and we stepped out onto the bath math. Arizona grabbed a towel and quickly towel-dried me off before helping me wrap it around my body.

I gripped her hand and pulled her to me once the towel was secured and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you," I said.

She nodded and kissed my cheek. "Anytime," she said. "Why don't you go put some pajamas on and we can just curl up in bed?"

I nodded and left the bathroom in search of warm clothes.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I quickly dried myself off as best I could with only one fully-functional arm. I haven't been able to perform surgery in five days, which I really hated. Surgery is the one time when I can completely clear my head and think of nothing other than the precious life on the table before me. Without surgery, all I've been able to think about is George's death and it's toll on Calliope. And it breaks my heart.

I wrapped the towel around me and walked out of the bathroom to find Calliope already curled under the covers on her side. I quickly pulled on some shorts and a tank top before hastily running a comb through my still-wet hair. I crawled under the covers and couldn't help but smile when Calliope immediately curled into me. She laid her head on my uninjured shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her, my hand threading through her still-damp hair. Her arm was slung over my torso.

We lay there in silence for several moments, neither of us unsure of what to say. Finally, the silence got to me and I spoke out. "Want to talk about it?" I asked softly, allowing my fingers to brush across her cheek.

Calliope took a deep breath and sat up slightly, looking into my eyes. "I should have hated him, you know? I mean, he cheated on me with a friggin' blonde supermodel. I should have hated his guts, but… I didn't. He was George. How can you hate George? He was a crappy husband, but he was so great with Liliana. And now… now…" She shook her head and fell onto her back beside me, covering her face with her hands. "I should have hated him," she repeated.

I lifted myself so that I was supporting myself on my uninjured arm and looking down at her. "I didn't know him that well," I started off, not really knowing what to say to make her feel better. "Did I ever tell you that he warned me not to hurt you?"

Calliope slowly lowered her hands from her face and gave me a questioning look. "He… what?"

I chuckled slightly at her amazement and as I remember the conversation I'd had with the young resident. I nodded. "He came into my office late one night, said he knew he had no right to protect you, but did it anyway. Said that I shouldn't make the same mistakes he did. That he still loved you and just wanted you to be happy."

Her mouth was agape in shock. "He said that?" she whispered so softly I could barely hear her.

I nodded again. "He did." I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "He wants you be happy, Calliope. I struggled for a while, thinking that it was all my fault that he'd been killed. He put himself between me and the knife."

She started to protest, but I stopped her by placing my lips against hers, effectively swallowing her words. I pulled back and continued speaking. "I was still blaming myself this afternoon at the funeral. That's kinda why I took off like that. I couldn't stand seeing you and George's family and friends so heartbroken, so I had to get out of there. The whole thing also reminded me of my brother and his funeral… it was just too much. So I turned and walked away."

Calliope's eyes conveyed her worry, so I gave her a small smile of reassurance. "I came across a grave of a U.S. Marine that died in the line of duty and lost it. But there was also a woman there, the soldier's sister. We talked and she helped me realize that George died a hero. He died to protect me and all the others in the store at the time. He's a hero and deserves to be remembered as one."

"And if he hadn't protected you, if he hadn't stepped in between you and the knife," Calliope said, cupping my tear-stained cheek, "I could have lost you… and…and the happiness you've brought into my life. When I think about how it could have been you… I-I can't even imagine… losing you."

She caught the back of my neck and pulled me towards her, mashing out lips together in a deep kiss. I knew she needed that physical reaffirmation that I was still alive. That she was still alive.

I pulled back when I needed to breath and stared into her deep brown eyes, knowing now that I was ready to take that final leap of faith. Knowing that I could spend forever in her arms.

"I love you."

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

The words were so soft, I almost thought I'd imagined them. My heart skipped a beat before starting to race. Had she just said she loved me? Something I've felt for weeks but been to scared to say myself? She loved me?

I must have taken too long to process what I'd just heard because Arizona started to turn red and advert her eyes, mumbling something along the line of "stupid time to say it," or something like that.

I quickly cupped her cheek and forced her to look at me. "Say it again," I insisted.

She swallowed noticeably and wet her lips with her tongue. "I… love you."

"You do?" I said, needing to know that she meant it.

She smiled softly and nodded her head. "I do. I love you, Calliope Iphegenia Torres."

I kissed her, threading my hands into her damp locks and thrusting my tongue into her welcoming mouth. I pulled back slightly after a moment. "I love you, too," I whispered while looking into her crystal clear blue eyes. "I have for quite a while, now." I grinned at her.

She grinned back. "So have I," she replied. "These past couple of months have been amazing, Calliope. I never thought I could fall for someone with kids, but not only did I fall for you, I fell for Liliana. I almost feel like… like she's my own." She paused and blushed slightly. "It's probably too soon to be saying stuff like that, though."

I chuckled. "No it's not," I reassured her. "It's the perfect time." I kissed the tip of her nose. Then I turned serious for a moment. "Thank you," I said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For taking a chance," I said. "For sticking with me through everything that's happened. For not freaking out when _I_ freak out. For making an effort to bond with Liliana and being amazing with her. For understanding my grief over losing the ex-husband that betrayed me and not questioning me about it. Mostly, for being the person that pulled me out of the darkness and showed me that I deserve to be loved and to be happy."

I watched as a single tear fell down Arizona's cheek and knew that, even though earlier today had been exponentially sad and filled with sorrow, that this moment would be one I'd never forget. This right here in Arizona's arms, is where I belong.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yowza! I had a rough time with this chapter! I'm so ready for the angst and sadness to be over. I felt as if this chapter were a bit rushed, but I need to get to the fluffiness again. Though, there was a lot of fluffy goodness at the end of this chapter, right? I know that this exchange of ILY's is a good 8 eps before it happened on Grey's but I don't care. I needed it to happen there and I thought it was a good place for it. Alright, so what did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know! I love reviews! They encourage me to update faster… *hint hint* : )


	13. Chapter 12

**Title:** Just Because (12/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2:** And the story line deviation continues even more… : )

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

"Dr. Torres," a deep voice said as the door opened to the examination room where I was checking out a teenaged boy's swollen knee.

I glanced up to see Chief Webber standing in the doorway. "Yes, Chief?"

"I'd like to see you in my office before your next surgery, if you have a moment," he said.

I nodded. "Yes, sir," I answered. "I'll be up as soon as I'm done here."

He nodded once and left. I turned back to the swollen knee that was quickly turning purple. "You may have torn your ACL," I said, picking up his chart and making a few notes. I turned to the intern on my service today. "Order a CT and page me when you get the results."

"Yes, Dr. Torres," the intern said.

I made my way up to Chief Webber's office, nervous. I had a feeling what this was pertaining to, but I wasn't sure. I knocked on his office door.

"Come in," the chief called out. I opened the door and stepped inside his immaculate office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, Dr. Torres, yes. Come in and close the door."

I did so, nervously moving forward to sit in front of his desk, wringing my hands in my lap.

"I asked you here to discuss your application for attending." I felt my heart rate increase as he continued. "As you know, Dr. Chang's 401K recently took a hit and he's put off retirement for another few years."

I nodded slightly, feeling my stomach clench. "I also know that I've practically been running his department all year," I felt compelled to add. I struggled to keep the annoyance and fear out of my voice, but was highly unsuccessful.

Chief Webber nodded slightly. "I understand that, Dr. Torres, and I'm sure Dr. Cheng appreciates it as well. Which is why we've decided to shuffle funds around in order to offer you the position of attending."

I'd been so prepared for him to say otherwise that I nearly protested, thinking he'd said there was no job available. Luckily, I stopped myself in time. "You… you're offering me the job?"

Chief Webber smiled. "I am. You're a great asset to this hospital, Dr. Torres. We don't want to see you going anywhere else." The phone started to ring, making me jump slightly. Chief Webber eyed it, then spoke again. "Go see HR first thing tomorrow. Tell them you need a new badge." He placed his hand on the still ringing phone, my cue to leave.

"Thank you, Chief," I rushed out as I stood. "You won't regret this."

I left his office and practically skipped down the hall towards the elevator, laughing internally at how Arizona's had brushed off on me. I had to find her and tell her. I checked my watch, grinning when I saw that I still had over an hour before I needed to prep for my next surgery.

"Hi, Dr. Torres," a friendly nurse greeted me as I entered the Peds wing.

"Hey, Kelly," I said with a huge smile. "Do you know where Dr. Robbins is?"

"She said she was going to check on a few patients and then try and get some sleep," Kelly replied.

"Thanks!" I called out over my shoulder as I headed to the Peds on-call room. I quietly opened the door and peeked my head inside to find my beautiful girlfriend laying on the tiny bed facing the door. Her eyes opened slowly when light filtered through the open door.

"Hey," she said, sitting up slightly.

I couldn't contain my excitement any longer. I walked quickly over to the bed and sat on the edge, pulling her towards me, crushing our lips together in a deep kiss.

I nearly melted when Arizona whimpered in surprise, then purred with pleasure as I nipped at her lips before thrusting my tongue inside her mouth to rub against her own tongue. We kissed for several minutes until Arizona reluctantly pulled back, gasping for breath.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you," she breathed out. "But what was that for?"

I smiled broadly, unable to reign in my giddiness. She really had started to rub off on me. I liked it. "You are looking at the newest attending surgeon at Seattle Grace!" I practically yelled.

Arizona's eyes widened and a huge smile broke out on her face. "You got the job?"

"I got the job!"

Arizona screeched and threw her arms around my neck, pulling me in for another heated kiss. "I knew you'd get it!" she said excitedly when she pulled away. "How could he say no to you?" She kissed me again before I could reply, but I didn't mind.

I groaned when she deepened the kiss, running my fingers through her silky curls. I felt Arizona kick at the covers so that they lay in a rumpled heap at the foot of the bed. I was about to press her back onto the mattress, but she was quicker. She rolled us so that I lay on my back and she hovered over me, grinning mischievously. She buried her face in my neck, trailing wet kisses over my collarbone towards my ear. She nibbled the lobe gently, causing me to groan and press my hips forward.

"I'm so proud of you right now," she whispered into my ear. Her hand trailed down between my breasts and torso to creep under my shirt. "I should show you just how proud I am," she continued, slipping her hand into my scrub pants, but still over my panties, to come to a rest just above my mound.

I gasped and arched my head back, allowing her to nibble the tender skin of my neck. Arizona had just moved her hand down to cover my center over my already-drenched panties when the irritating sound of a pager caused us both to groan in annoyance.

Arizona lifted herself up and fumbled at our waists to check both our pagers. She sighed in dismay. "It's yours," she said. She rolled off of me, pouting.

I checked my pager. The CT scans of the teenager with the injured knee were available. I sighed and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. "I gotta go," I said.

Arizona nodded and smiled as I stood. "We should celebrate tonight," she said. "Something… _special_."

"Definitely," I said, trying to imagine what she meant by 'special.' "What time does your shift end?"

"Five," she answered.

"I'm on until seven," I said.

"How about I pick Liliana up from the daycare when I'm done? I'll have her fed and ready for bed before you even get home."

I smiled at her eagerness to help me out with Liliana and nodded. "If you're sure."

"I am," she said with a smile. "I want to help."

"Thanks," I said, leaning down for one last kiss before heading off to look over the scans of my patient. I was eager to get through the rest of the day and get home to my baby girl and my girlfriend.

_Home._ That sounded like heaven when I associated it with Liliana and Arizona. I wondered if it was too soon to ask her to move in. Probably. I shouldn't get ahead of myself, I thought.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I hummed to myself as I made my way towards the daycare, which was on the same floor as the Peds wing. Which made sense, when you thought about it. There have been a few times when I had been paged to the daycare for some sort of 'consult.'

"Hi, Dr. Robbins," Linda, one of the caregivers greeted me when I walked in the door. She looked around. "Did someone page you?" she questioned, confused.

I chuckled. "Oh, no. I'm here to pick up Liliana for Dr. Torres."

"Ah," a bright smile appeared on Linda's face. "Has she filled out a Pick-Up form?"

"I have no idea. What's a Pick-Up form?" I leaned against the front desk.

"The form that she has to sign in order for someone else to take her," she explained, placing a piece of paper on the desk in front of me. "I don't think she's filled one out for you, but I'll let it slide this time," she said with a wink. "You promise you're not a kidnapper?"

I laughed. "I promise. She knows I'm picking her up."

Linda nodded and pushed the paper towards me. "Just make sure she fills this out for next time. Hospital policy and all that."

"Thanks, Linda," I said, taking the paper and placing it in my bag.

Five minutes later I was walking out of the hospital with balancing Liliana, her diaper bag and my own large bag in my arms. I smiled when I juggled the load in my arms to shimmy the key that Calliope had placed in my locker along with a note telling me not to be shy about using it. It had made my heart ripple and a huge smile to appear on my face to know that she was ready to exchange keys.

I made a mental reminder to get a copy of my own apartment key made to give to Calliope. Not that we ever stayed at my place. Calliope's place was a lot closer to the hospital and it's where Liliana's stuff was. It just made more sense to stay here. But I still wanted her to have a copy.

I set my bag and Liliana's diaper bag down on the chair and walked into Liliana's nursery, bouncing her slightly as we entered the room. The child was very awake and very alert. She cooed softly when I sat in the rocking chair to give myself a moment to rest and think about what I wanted to do to surprise Calliope tonight. She deserved to be pampered. She'd made attending!

"What should I do for your mommy, huh?" I asked Liliana in a baby-talk voice, balancing her on my knee facing me.

Liliana let out a high-pitched squeal and clapped her hands before reaching out to tangle in my hair that hug down to my shoulders. I chuckled and disentangled her tiny fingers, bringing them to my lips to kiss gently. Her tiny fist encircled my thumb as she continued to make goo-goo gah-gah noises quintessential of every baby. Calliope was sure the eight-month-old's first word could come any day now and was constantly urging her to say "mama."

"What's that?" I asked. "We should celebrate with a little along time while auntie Cristina watches you?" I smiled. "I like your thinking, baby girl. I wonder if auntie Cristina will be home soon."

I stood and laid Liliana on the changing table, no longer intimidated at the thought of changing her diaper. Even the stinky ones no longer phased me.

After changing her, I took her into the kitchen and opened the cabinet where I knew the baby food was kept. "What will it be tonight, sweetie?" I grabbed a jar of food and read the label, grimacing. "Strained peas," I read aloud. I shrugged, figuring if it was in the cabinet, then Calliope fed it to her.

I grabbed a baby spoon and sat on the couch. After securing a bib loosely around Liliana's neck, I fed her the strained peas, trying not to grimace at the putrid green color as I spooned more into Liliana's awaiting mouth.

The door to the apartment opened and Cristina entered, looking surprised to see me. "Hey," she said carefully.

"Hey," I replied, feeding Liliana another bite.

"I thought Callie's shift didn't end until seven," she inquired, looking around.

"It doesn't," I said. "I got off at five, though, and offered to bring Liliana home."

Cristina eyes me carefully as she got a glass of water. "So, you and ortho are getting pretty serious, huh?"

I rolled my eyes slightly. "You should be more respectful about your superior, Yang."

"Superior," Cristina scoffed. "She she's a fifth-year resident and I'm a third-year. Big difference."

I grinned. "As of tomorrow, she's an attending," I corrected, full of pride.

Cristina's mouth gaped. "Ortho got promoted?" She paused before nodding once. "Good. She deserves it. She's kick-ass."

I smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more for once." Then I smiled sweetly at Cristina, putting my dimples to work. "What are you doing tonight?"

She gave me an inquisitive look. "Reading up on a surgery I'm scheduled to help Derek with tomorrow. Why?" She knew I was up to something.

"Well, I thought it would be nice to celebrate," I said. "Alone…just Calliope and I. Would you be willing to watch Liliana while I, um, pamper her tonight?"

She eyed me. "You want me to watch the rug rat so you can do dirty things to my roommate," she said bluntly. And I could not deny it. "What's in it for me?"

I thought a moment. "I'll… promise to not do dirty things with Calliope in the living room for a whole month."

Cristina considered my offer. The number of times Cristina had walked in on Calliope and I making out or doing something a little less innocent was ridiculous. At least once a week on average. Once, she'd even walked in as I was giving Calliope extra-special attention… down there… with my tongue. It hadn't been a pretty scene when Cristina had walked in.

"Make it three months," Cristina countered.

"Two," I re-countered.

She narrowed her eyes, then nodded. "Deal."

I smiled. "Thanks," I said.

I'd assumed Cristina would then escape to her bedroom, but she surprised me by sitting on the chair opposite of where I sat, studying me closely as I continued to spoon green goo into Liliana's mouth.

"What?" I asked after a moment, uncomfortable with her staring.

"Just how serious _are_ you about her?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not entirely sure that's any of your business," I said.

"Hey, I'm the one who has to listen to her cry and complain whenever she's depressed. So it's my business if you just plan on up and leaving like Erica or cheating on her like George. I just want to make sure it's not just a game for you."

I softened. As hard as Cristina was on the outside, she really did care for her roommate. No matter what she said. "It's not a game," I said. "I love her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cristina said, placing both hands in front of her, palms out. "Love? We're talking head-over-heels, can't live without you, need you now kind of love? Sexy love?"

I chuckled. "Is that so hard to believe? Calliope's an amazing mother, an amazing surgeon… and most of all, an amazing person. Why wouldn't I fall in love with her?"

Cristina sat staring, dumbstruck. "I like you," she said suddenly. "You're way too perky, especially in the morning, and you wear freaking roller skates for shoes, but you've also made her happy, which makes me happy because I don't have to listen to her boo-hoo. Just don't hurt her. Because if you do and I have to listen to her bitch and moan, _I'm _going to hurt _you_. Got it?"

I rolled my eyes slightly, but nodded. "I'll do my best," I said.

"Good." She reached out for Liliana. "I can go ahead and take her if you want."

I nodded and transferred the baby into Cristina's arms, handing her the half-eaten jar of baby food. I still found it amazing how good Cristina was with Liliana. She'd never admit it, but I knew she had a special bond with the baby.

"I'm going to go get ready for tonight," I said as I stood and made my way to Calliope's bedroom. "Thanks again, Cristina."

Cristina just grunted as I closed the door behind me. I looked at the time, noting that I had about an hour before Calliope was due home. I took a quick shower, cleansing, shampooing, conditioning and shaving. I dried off before lathering sweet-scented lotion all over my body, letting it dry before wrapping a towel around me before walking out into the bedroom, knowing exactly what to wear.

I opened the drawer Calliope had cleared out for me in the dresser and reached into the back for the still wrapped package. I've been waiting for a special occasion to wear this hot little number and tonight was perfect.

I tore off the delicate tissue paper and laid out the three-piece ensemble on the bed, grinning when I thought about how Calliope would react at seeing me in this. It was a crystal blue chemise that perfectly matched my eyes, or so the saleslady told me, complete with matching push-up bra and bikini panties, all three trimmed in black lace. The panties had little ties on each hip that allowed for easy removal.

I smiled as I slipped into the silky lingerie, loving the feel against my bare skin. I dabbed a little bit of perfume between my breasts and on the insides of my wrists. I let my hair air dry, allowing it to curl softly around my shoulders.

A quick glace at the clock told me that I had fifteen minutes until Calliope's shift should be ending.

I added a little bit of makeup to emphasize my eyes and lips, but left my face otherwise bare of enhancement. Calliope's said numerous times that she thinks I'm the most beautiful in the morning, when I just wake up. I think she's crazy, but tonight is about her.

My phone buzzed from its position on the nightstand and I pick it up, grinning when I saw that it was a text from Calliope.

_On my way. :) -C_

I grinned and grabbed a black silk robe to hide my surprise. The robe was actually Calliope's, but I knew she wouldn't mind me borrowing it.

I lit the various candles Calliope had placed in the room and turned off the lights so that the soft glow of the flickering flames were the only source of light.

I peeked my head out the bedroom door to find that Cristina and Liliana had since vacated the room and I grinned. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of red wine and two glasses, hurrying back into the bedroom when I heard keys jiggling in the lock. I closed the door and set the wine and glasses on the bedside table before perching on the edge of the bed, painting a welcoming smile on my face.

"Arizona?" I heard from the living room.

"In here," I called out. The door opened and I stood to greet her. "Hello, Calliope," I said in a low voice.

She raised an eyebrow and placed both hands on her hips in a pose that made my mouth water at the sight. "What's all this?" she asked, looking around at the candles.

"This," I said, picking up the wine and pouring a glass, "is a celebration." I handed her the glass, which she immediately sipped, humming in pleasure at the sweet bite.

"Of what?" she asked.

I poured my own glass and stepped towards her as I sipped. "Of you, silly. Of your making attending. I plan on showing you just how prod of you I am. I convinced Cristina to watch Liliana for the rest of the night, so I have you all to myself." I had kept creeping up on her until I was a mere six inches away.

Calliope grinned. "I like the sound of that," she said, then narrowed her eyes. "What exactly have you got hidden under that robe?"

I mirrored her grin and reached over to set my glass on the dresser before stepping back a few feet and untying the sash of the robe, letting it flutter to the ground.

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I gasped at the beautiful sight before me. Arizona in some sort of sexy lingerie cast in the soft glow of the numerous candle. What a thing to come home to. My mouth watered and I felt the crotch of my own panties become uncomfortably wet.

"You look… wow," I said lamely. "Where have you been hiding that little number?" I took a step forward, allowing the fingers of my free hand to trace along the lacy edge of the chemise at her décolletage.

Arizona grinned. "I've been saving it for a special occasion," she said, looping her arms around my neck and pulling me towards her. I quickly set my wineglass on the dresser next to hers and linked my arms around her tiny waist as she pressed her front to mine.

I licked my lips in anticipation and offered her a big smile. "What do you plan on doing with that little outfit?"

She returned my smile, her eyes shining with mischievousness. "You'll just have to wait and find that out, won't you?" She pressed her lips to mine in a sweet kiss. I brought one of my hands up to cup her cheek, deepening the kiss.

In a matter of seconds, the kiss went from soft and loving to hot and hurried. Our tongues battled and her hands began to pull at my clothes. We parted for only a few seconds in order for her to pull my shirt off over my head, our mouths melding back together before the fabric hit the floor.

I grinned and sighed with pleasure as she pressed me back into the mattress. I had to be the luckiest girl in the whole world. I had a great job that I loved doing, an amazing daughter whom I adored and an awesome girlfriend that I'd fallen completely head-over-heels in love with. What more did I need?

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I woke up to the sound of Calliope's soft snores coming from behind me as she spooned me, her arm thrown over my waist. I glanced at the clock and nearly groaned. My shift started in an hour, and I needed to get up. Calliope wasn't scheduled for another three hours.

But I didn't want leave my warm cocoon.

I sighed softly, forcing myself to move. I lifted her arm gently, glad that she was a heavy sleeper and wouldn't likely awaken from my movements. I stood and slipped into the black silk robe from the previous night. I chuckled softly when I noticed our clothing still scattered around the room on the floor, recalling last night's adventures, causing my cheeks to flush slightly.

I gathered Calliope's discarded jeans and shirt, tossing them into the regular clothes hamper before plucking up her lacy purple bra and panty set and my own lingerie and placing them in the delicates pile.

I paused, staring down at the laundry baskets of dirty clothes and couldn't stop the small grin forming on my lips. It seemed silly, but the simple idea of our clothing intermingled like that made my stomach flutter.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before starting to get ready for my shift, showering, blow drying my hair, putting on my minimal make up and dressing quickly in jeans and a light blue sweater.

I was just pouring myself a second cup of coffee when there was a knock on the door. Not wanting to wake Calliope up and knowing Cristina had already left for her own shift, I decided to answer the door.

The cheerful greeting died on my lips when I recognized the person standing on the other side of the door and I found myself wishing I hadn't answered the door after all.


	14. Chapter 13

**Title:** Just Because (13/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

[Arizona's POV]

The ability to speak flew out the window as I stared in shock as the person standing in the hallway. I _really _wish I hadn't answered the door.

"Mr. Torres," I said when I realized that I'd been starting far too long.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded once. "Miss Robbins, isn't it?"

I cringed inwardly. "It's Dr. Robbins," I clarified. "Arizona." I glanced over my shoulder at Calliope's closed bedroom door, willing her to come out right now.

"I'd like to speak to my daughter, _Doctor _Robbins," the older man said. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes.

I stepped aside and let him enter the apartment. "I'll go wake her," I mumbled as I walked across the room to Calliope's bedroom, leaving Mr. Torres standing by the front door. I quickly entered the room, closing the door behind me and slumping back against it as I took a deep breath. For such a small man, Calliope's father sure was intimidating.

I shook my head and made my way to the bed where Calliope still slept, the sheets tangled around her legs. I sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a stray lock of raven hair off her face. "Calliope," I said softly, shaking her shoulder gently. "Calliope, wake up." She was a pretty heavy sleeper, so I should have known that that wouldn't have awakened her. Usually when I can't wake her, I'll plant a few sexy little kisses on her face and neck. But that usually led to morning sex, which was not on the menu for this morning.

I sighed and shook her roughly. "Calliope!"

"Huh?" she called out as she sat up straight in the bed. "What? Oh, shit! Did I oversleep?" She started to move off the bed, but I stopped her.

"You didn't oversleep," I said. "You don't have to be at the hospital for another couple of hours."

"Then why did you wake me?" she pouted, falling back onto her pillow and grinning up at me. "I was having a _really _good dream. About you and that thing that you do with your tongue when-"

"Your dad is here."

The change in her expression would have been comical if the situation were different.

"My dad is… _here_?" she asked in astonishment, sitting up once again, the sheet falling to her waist and revealing her naked torso.

I found myself momentarily distracted by her exposed chest.

"Arizona!" Calliope's panicked voice brought me out of my trance.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "Yeah, there was a knock on the door and I, uh, answered because I didn't want to wake you. I knew you were tired after last night and that you needed sleep." I realized that I was babbling, so I stopped myself. "Anyway, it's your dad and he wants to talk to you."

Calliope swore as she threw back the covers and started for the door.

"Um, babe?" I stopped her. "You might want to put some clothes on," I said.

She looked down at herself and blushed. "Right, clothes." She quickly pulled on underwear and a sports bra before digging a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt out of the dresser and throwing them on. She gathered her thick hair into a ponytail and took a deep breath before opening the bedroom door, preparing to come face-to-face with her father.

I really hoped this didn't turn out bad for Calliope.

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

"Daddy?" I said softly, capturing the attention of my father who stood by the front door.

"Calliope," he said and took a few steps forward, stopping when he saw Arizona exit the bedroom to stand beside me. I folded my arms and stood up straight.

Arizona looked back and forth between me and my father before clearing her throat. "Well, I'll, ah, leave you two to talk," she said and gripped my arm briefly. She looked me in the eye to convey her love and support before grabbing her jacket from the back of a chair and her purse from a nearby table.

As soon as the door closed behind her, I felt lost. I had no idea what to do or say. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a small voice, my defiant attitude gone.

He seemed to soften a bit as he took a few more steps closer. "Calliope, we used to talk. Every Sunday you'd call and tell us of your crazy adventures." He got a serious look on his face. "We miss you, Calliope."

I uncrossed my arms and swallowed hard, not believing my ears. "Daddy," I said and closed the distance between us. He pulled me into his embrace and I nearly broke down. "I'm sorry things got so-"

A soft knock on the door interrupted me. I pulled back and went to answer the door. I figured Arizona had forgotten something and just didn't want to barge in. So I was in for quite a shock when I pulled open the door to reveal a man dressed in black robes.

"Father Kevin?" I questioned quietly. I looked between him and my father, not knowing what to say. "Dad? What is this? Why is he here?"

"I thought that we could sit down and talk this out."

I instantly saw red. I couldn't even speak, I was so angry. I pushed past my father towards my bedroom.

"Calliope," my dad called after me. I ignored him, shutting the door behind me with a resounding thud. I quickly changed into a pair of faded jeans and a shirt that was a little less ratty before stuffing my feet into a pair of well-worn sneakers. I glanced at myself in the mirror, grimacing slightly at my makeup-free face, but shrugged. I had a few essentials in my locker at the hospital that I could make due with.

I was suddenly grateful that Liliana had spent last night with Louise, so I didn't have to worry about getting her ready for the day.

I exited my bedroom to find my father and Father Kevin discussing softly by the door. I grabbed my bag and opened the door, ignoring them completely.

"Calliope, please," my father said, grabbing my arm to stop me. "If we could just talk."

"About what, Dad?" I asked, turning to face him. "Are you here to apologize and accept me for who I am?" I glanced at Father Kevin who was watching the scene unfold. "Or are you here to pray away the gay? Because you can't pray away the gay." I turned on my heels, already knowing the answer and made my way towards the stairwell.

"Calliope Iphigenia Torres!" he called after me.

I turned once again and felt the anger bursting out of me. "You can't pray away the gay!" I yelled out, not caring that I probably just outted myself to the entire apartment complex. I stared at him for a few seconds before turning and rushing down the hallway and into the stairwell, moving down the stairs as fast a my legs would allow.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I was worried about how Calliope's 'talk' with her father had gone, but as soon as I got to the hospital, a trauma come into the ER that required my full attention. A four-year-old little boy had been attacked by a pit bull and had sustained multiple traumas to his legs, torso and even his scalp. I paged Sloan as soon as I saw the damage.

It was nearly five hours before the surgery on the little boy was finished. He'd survived and we'd been able to repair all of the damage. He was lucky no vital organs had been damaged, but he may not regain full use of his legs anytime soon.

As soon as the rush of the surgery was over and I knew that the little boy would be okay, my mind wandered back to Calliope and her father.

After updating the boy's family and reassuring them that he would be okay, I went in search of Calliope. I instinctively checked 'our' on-call room, knowing that if things hadn't gone well, that's where she would be.

I found the door locked and tapped lightly on the wood.

"This room's occupied," I heard Calliope call out, her voice laced with emotion and my heart sank.

"Calliope? It's me. Open the door." I was relieved when the lock slid open seconds later and I pushed the door open. I stepped inside the room and saw her making her way back to the bed where she sat heavily on the edge, looking up at me. I closed and locked the door.

"What happened?" I asked, noting that she wasn't crying, but she did look upset.

"He brought a priest!" she stated, appalled. "He traveled 3000 miles with a priest in tow for some sort of crazed intervention."

I sighed and sat beside her, taking one of her hands in mine. "What did you say?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I left."

"Calliope…"

"What? You think I'm being unreasonable? That I should let him try and reform me?"

I sighed. "I'm just saying that you should talk to him. Hear him out. He's had a big shock." I looked at her, placing my arm around her waist. "Just give him room to be a little shocked. Talk to him."

She sighed and shook her head. "He's just going to be all righteous and pious," she muttered.

"So? You know he loves you, Calliope. He just wants what's best for you."

"I know," she said.

"Promise me you'll talk to him?"

"I guess," she relented. I smiled and kissed her cheek. "It'll all be okay, Calliope."

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I should have known better. I should have known that my father, my super-Catholic, old school, traditional father wouldn't understand.

But I'd wanted to try. I did try.

And now I sat in a lounge balling my eyes out from his blatant rejection. How could he say those things? I'd been able to keep it together and hold my anger in until he'd brought Liliana into it. That's when I had lost it.

"_It's an abomination," he said with disdain. "It's an eternity in hell."_

"_Oh, that's why you flew three thousand miles?" I questioned, astonished. "To tell me that I was going to Hell? I thought you came here to apologize."_

"_I can't apologize, Calliope. I can't understand what happened or where I went wrong!"_

_Taken aback, I stared at him for several seconds. "Where you went wrong?" I repeated in amazement. "What do you mean, where you went wrong?"_

"_I sent you to the best schools, paid your way through college and medical school and raised you to love the Lord and do right by Him. I did _not_ raise you to… to live like this, Calliope. What are you going to tell Liliana when she's old enough to realize that her mother is dating another _woman_? How can you expect her to have a decent upbringing if she's around this kind of stuff?"_

"_Do not bring my daughter into this," I said, my voice much calmer than the rage I felt boiling inside me. "I am an excellent mother and I love my daughter more than anything. Raising her around '_this_'," I said, using air quotes, "will show her that she deserves to be loved and respected. I'm finally happy, Daddy. I've found someone that treats me with the respect that I deserve. She makes me happier than I've ever been. Ever. Why can't you accept that?"_

_His silence gave me all the answer I needed. I swallowed back my tears and stood, leaving the room quietly, letting him take in my words.  
_

His silence had told me everything, though. He wasn't going to accept me. He wasn't going to accept that I'm finally happy.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

When I had discovered Calliope crying in the lounge, I had felt my heart plummet. I held her while she cried, already making up my mind to not be an innocent bystander. I had to do something. She may act all tough on the outside, saying that she didn't need her family, but she did. I could see it in her eyes how devastated she was.

That's how I found myself standing in the waiting room next to Mr. Torres as he stared out the plate glass window into the mid-day drizzle of Seattle, telling him how I got my name and of my late grandfather. He seemed to be trying his best to ignore me, so I decided to put it all out there on the table. He should know how I felt about his daughter.

"I love your daughter," I said. I smiled inwardly as I noticed him finally acknowledge me. "And I protect the things I love." I smiled up at him. "Not that she needs it. She's strong. And honorable. And she's who you raised her to be." I found myself getting a little choked up near the end of my speech.

Mr. Torres still didn't say anything, but he was looking at me closely now, seeming to take in my words. I nodded and smiled, backing away slowly to let him think about what I'd just said.

I hope that I had helped and not done any more damage, but I knew that I had had to do _something_.

I went about the rest of my day, keeping a close eye on Calliope. I was standing at a nurses' station when I saw her talking to an intern and a sudden thought occurred to me. I've been so wrapped up in my worry over her that I'd yet to notice the dark blue attending scrubs.

I smiled, noting how sexy and authoritative she looked in them. I handed the chart I'd been making notes on to a nurse behind the counter and made my way towards her. She looked up as I approached and told the intern to order a CT on a patient, effectively dismissing him.

"Hey," I said softly. "How are you holding up?" I asked.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I've been better," she answered as we started walking down the hall.

I smiled sadly, nodding. "I'm so sorry, Calliope."

She stopped and looked down at me. "It's not your fault," she said.

"I wish I could do something to help," I said.

"Just being here does help," she insisted. "Aren't you supposed to be done for the day?" she asked.

I shrugged. My shift had officially ended over an hour ago. "I thought I'd stay until you got off."

She shook her head. "You don't have to," she said. "Really, I'm okay."

I studied her closely. "Are you sure? I really don't mind." Actually, I could really use a hot shower right now, but I'd stay in a heartbeat if she asked.

"Go," she insisted. "Really. I'm fine."

"Alright. Want me to pick Liliana up from the daycare?"

She nodded. "Sure. I did give them that paper, so you should have no problems today."

I stood on tiptoe and gave her a quick kiss before making my way to the locker room to change. She said she was fine, but I was still worried.

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

"Calliope."

I groaned when I saw my father waiting for me outside the hospital. After what seemed like a marathon day, the last thing I wanted to do was have another encounter with him. I just wanted to go home, take a long hot bath and curl up in bed with Arizona.

"I can't do this anymore," I said, fully intending to walk right by him. "You'll, you know, see me in Hell."

But he grabbed my elbow, as I passed by, effectively stopping me in my tracks. "Listen to me, please."

I looked at him with a bored expression on my face, already dreading his words.

"I have to catch you," he said matter-of-factly.

I gave him a confused look. "What?"

"You're whole life… you've always been on a bridge, Calliope. Ever since you were a little girl. And you don't just walk on it. You climb on the railings; you're ready to leap. And when you do, when that happens, I have to be there. I have to catch you."

"You don't have to catch me, Dad," I said in all seriousness.

"Yes, I do," he replied. "It's my job." From the look on his face I knew that he was starting to come around. I couldn't stop the slight smile that spread across my face. "Listen," he said hesitantly. "If this works out between you and Arizona, is there a chance that maybe you'd… give your mother a wedding?"

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. Wedding? But the thought didn't scare me. Not one bit. "If Arizona wanted to spend the rest of her life with me? Yeah, I'd put on a big white dress and dance down the isle."

"And what about Liliana? You'd raise her… together?"

I smiled. "Of course," I said. "Arizona already loves that little girl to pieces."

He nodded slightly and stared into my eyes. "Does she make you happy?" he asked, intensely serious.

"Yes, Dad," I said, a huge smile on my lips. "She makes me very happy." I moved forward to embrace him, relief and happiness flooding through my body. "I love you, you know that?"

He pulled back, a serious look on his face. "She's not a vegetarian, is she? Because I don't know how much more I can take."

I rolled my eyes slightly. "She's not a vegetarian," I said as I moved to hug him again.

"I feel very old," he said and I laughed, elated to have him back in my life.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I fed Liliana, then bathed her, and now sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, trying to get her to go to sleep.

I wish I had Calliope's singing voice that never failed to soothe the precious little girl into slumber, but my voice wasn't nearly as beautiful. So I settled for rocking and gently rubbing her back.

Liliana had just fallen asleep when I heard the front door open. I carefully placed the baby into her crib and made my way out to the living room. I immediately sought Calliope out, discovering her in the kitchen. I was surprised to see her pouring two glasses of wine, a happy look on her face.

"Hey," I said with a questioning look on my face.

"Hey," she replied, walking over to me and planting a kiss on my lips as she handed me one of the glasses before making her way to the couch.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked, following her.

She sat and pulled me down to sit next to her. "My dad was waiting for me when I left the hospital," she said, sipping her wine.

"Oh?" I asked, confused because she didn't seem upset.

"Yeah," she said. "He said something about bridges that I didn't totally get, but it doesn't matter because he finally came around. Or, he's starting to, at least."

"Calliope, that's great!" I cried out.

She nodded and fell back against the couch, a look of pure joy on her face.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," she said in wonder. "I mean… I don't even know what to say. He… he really… accepts me." She looked up at me. "Accepts _us_."

I smiled and grabbed her wineglass, placing it and my own onto the table next to the couch. I moved so that I straddled her thighs and her hands instinctively circled my waist. I leaned down and kissed her hard.

"Do you feel like you're dreaming now?" I asked a few minutes later, out of breath.

"I don't know," she answered with a grin. "Kiss me again and maybe we'll find out."

I grinned and moved to kiss her again, but she pulled back at the last second. "Oh, yeah, before I forget," she said. "I told him that we'd have dinner with him tomorrow night."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, first, I am so sorry about the not-so-quick update with this chapter. I had a lot of things going on, including finals for my summer classes, so that took up most of my time for a while. But I hope that this makes up for it. : )

So, did you guess correctly that it was Carlos Torres at the door? This part more closely follows the actual Grey's storyline, but I thought it was well-written by the Grey's writers, so I decided to keep it (kind of) the same.


	15. Chapter 14

**Title:** Just Because (14/?)

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I forced myself not to laugh at Arizona's frantic search for something to wear. She'd tried on - and hated - six different outfits already. I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, clad in just my towel, fresh from a shower. "Arizona, babe, he's not going to care what you're wearing."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Arizona turned to face me, hands on her hips as she stood glaring at me dressed in only her pale blue bra and panty set. I forced back a smirk of amusement.

"Calliope Torres, this is all _your_ fault, you know," she said, pointing an angry finger at my chest. She shook her head, sending her damp curls flying back and forth. "And I have nothing to wear!"

I stood and walked over to stand in front of her. I gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "It doesn't matter what you wear," I said in a calm voice. "He'll love you no matter what you're wearing. And you look amazing in anything."

She took a deep breath and seemed to calm down a bit. "You pick," she said.

"What?" I questioned, confused.

"You pick what I should wear." She looked into my eyes, silently pleading with me.

I nodded and studied the dresses on the bed. I've seen her in all of them, but the knee-length, deep blue one with the a-symmetric bodice - the one she'd worn to Alex and Izzie's wedding - was my favorite. "This one," I said, picking up the dress and handing it to her.

"You think?" she asked, holding it up to her and looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"I know," I said, moving to stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder. Our gazes met in the mirror and I smiled gently. "I love you," I said.

She softened and sighed contentedly. "I love you, too, Calliope." She laid the dress back on the bed before turning to face me, her arms wrapping around my neck. "But it's still your fault," she said with a smirk. "And I expect you to make up for it later."

I smiled mischievously. "Why wait?" I asked, immediately covering her lips with my own.

"Hmm," Arizona sighed into my open mouth as our tongues caressed one another. She pulled back slightly after a moment. "We have to get ready," she whispered.

"We still have an hour before we need to leave," I countered, burring my face in her neck.

"Hmm, Calliope," Arizona hummed in pleasure as I nipped a particularly sensitive spot just below her ear. "Really, I still need to do my hair and makeup."

I held her to me to prevent her from stepping back. "That will take all of twenty minutes," I pointed out, nibbling her earlobe. She whimpered. "I just can't keep my hands to myself when I'm around you," I whispered in a low voice. To prove my point, my hands stroked over the smooth expanse of her back until I met the clasp of her bra. I pulled back and studied Arizona's face. Her eyes were closed and her bottom lip was caught between her teeth as her head lulled back.

I smirked and stepped back. "Of course," I said, bringing my hands out from behind her. "We really should finish getting ready." I started to step around her towards the closet, but was stopped by Arizona's hand on my wrist.

"Oh, no, Calliope," she said, a hint of frustration of the sexual variety lacing her voice. "You better get back here and finish what you started. I am _not_ going to endure dinner with your very opinionated father sexually frustrated because _you_ worked me up, the failed to deliver." She hooked her fingers into the loose knot holding my towel up and tugged, effectively causing it to fall unceremoniously to pool around my feel.

I stood there with my hands on my naked hips and a smug expression plastered on my face, fully prepared (and willing) to face the wrath of horny Arizona.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I had to rush to get ready because Calliope had kept luring me back to bed. But even she dare not risk being late to the restaurant where she'd said we'd meet him at 7:00 sharp.

I gave myself one last glance in the mirror, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles on the dress that Calliope had chosen. I was secretly glad she'd chosen this particular dress.

"Ready?" Calliope asked me from the doorway of the bedroom. She was dressed in a simple black wrap dress, but looked as stunning as ever.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be," I muttered and grabbed my clutch purse from the dresser top.

She stopped me as I started to walk past her into the living room. I glanced up at her and she leaned down to give me a gentle kiss. "You'll be fine," she reassured me. "I can't promise that he'll behave, but I can promise that you'll be able to handle anything he throws your way. Okay?"

I nodded again. "Okay. Let's get this over with."

She chuckled and took my hand as we left the apartment, squeezing it in reassurance as we rode down in the elevator, a comfortable silence overcoming us.

The short drive to the restaurant was nerve-wracking and had me wanting to demand that Calliope turn the car around, but I knew how important this was for her. I knew how much she loved and needed her family, her father in particular, to accept and support her. So I would do this for her. For Liliana. And for our future together.

I felt my heart racing as we entered the fancy restaurant and gave our names to the maitre d' who told us that Mr. Torres had arrived a few minutes ago. After we checked our coats, he led us to our table.

I wiped my clammy palms on the skirt of my dress as we approached the table. Calliope must have noticed my nervous behavior because she took my now sweat-free hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, immediately causing me to calm down a bit. The fact that she was willing to hold my hand in her father's presence didn't hurt either and made a tiny grin appear on my face.

Carlos Torres noticed us approaching and stood, embracing Calliope and kissing her cheek. "Mija," he greeted, then turned to me. "Dr. Robbins," he greeted, though this time, the malice was gone from his voice and I smiled at his greeting.

"Please, call me Arizona," I said, offering my hand to shake.

He took it in a firm grip and nodded once in response. After being seated and ordering our drinks - wine for Calliope and Carlos, water for me since I had an early shift in the morning - Carlos turned to me.

"I must apologize for my earlier behavior," he said bluntly. "I did not understand and, while I still don't fully understand, it's obvious that you make my daughter very happy. She cares greatly for you, and it's obvious that you care a great deal for her."

I glanced over at Calliope, who had tears in her eyes and felt my own tears threaten. "I do, sir," I said, taking her hand in mine as I turned back to face him. "I love her and that beautiful baby girl of hers."

He seemed to take in my words before nodding once. The waiter brought our drinks and took our orders at that time. The next several minutes were full of pleasantries and family talk - Calliope asking about how relatives were doing and Carlos filling her in.

"Are you close with your family, Arizona?" Carlos asked, taking a sip of his wine.

"Very," I answered and couldn't help but smile at the thought of my parents. "I'm a Daddy's girl, but I'm also close to my mother. I try and talk to them at least once a day."

"They're here in Seattle?" he asked, seemingly genuinely interested.

I shook my head. "No, they're in Corpus Christi, Texas, where my mother was born and raised."

"I've never had the pleasure of visiting Corpus Christi," he said, "but I've heard it's beautiful."

I nodded, finally feeling at ease. "It is."

"And what about you? Where did you grow up?"

"All over," I said, taking a sip of my water. "I was a Marine brat. I've lived in Corpus Christi, Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, San Diego, CA, and several other cities, but my personal favorite was Kane'ohe Bay in Hawai'i."

"You lived in Hawai'i?" Calliope asked, amazed.

I nodded. "For like, six months when I was five. I don't remember much, but I do remember the people and they were pretty awesome."

Calliope smiled at my use of 'awesome.'

"It must have been difficult moving around so much at such a young age," Carlos stated.

"Dad, this isn't an inquisition," Calliope warned, shooting him a glare.

"I'm just trying to learn about the woman who makes my daughter happy, Calliope."

I squeezed her hand. "It's alright," I assured her. "I don't mind. And trust me, my dad will be asking you the same questions and more and my mom… Well, let's just say I'll have to make sure you aren't alone with her the first couple of times you meet her."

Calliope's eyes went wide at saucers and I had to stifle a chuckle. She blushed slightly and cast her gaze downward, slightly embarrassed. I think I knew why, but I wasn't sure. I'd have to remember to ask her about that earlier.

Our food was brought to the table shortly afterwards and the rest of dinner went smoothly without a hitch. The conversation was light and friendly, far exceeding my expectations, for which I was grateful.

Just as the waiter placed the check on the table, Calliope's pager went off. She groaned as she checked on it. "I'm going to call and see what they need," she said, standing and making her way towards the exit to place the call.

I couldn't help but watch her leave the room, a silly grin on my face.

"I don't suppose it's necessary to tell you that if you hurt her you'll have to answer to me, is it?"

The grin immediately left my lips at the commanding tone in Carlos' voice and I turned back to face him as he looked at me in a eerily familiar stare down. I've seen that stare a hundred times coming from the same dark brown eyes of this man's daughter. A slight chill traveled down my spine.

"No, sir," I said, my voice surprisingly confident in the face of authority. I've not had the best of luck when it came to authority, I'm afraid. But this time was different. This time was centered around the woman that made me whole. "You don't have to tell me a thing. And I promise to take good care of her. And Liliana."

He seemed to soften a bit at the mention of his granddaughter and he even gave a bit of a smile. He nodded sharply just as Calliope was returning to the table, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

She nodded as she sat down. "Just an idiot intern that thought I was on call tonight," she said. "I think he's scared of me now." A sly grin appeared on her face and I had to force myself not to laugh aloud.

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

Dinner went better than I could have wished for. There were a few awkward moments of silence and a couple of questions from my father that made me want to scream from the stereotypical nature, but then I realized how new to this he was and that he really was trying, so I had to forgive him.

"Thank you, Daddy," I said as I hugged him outside the restaurant as we waited for the valet.

"I love you, mija," he said, kissing my cheek.

"I love you, too, Daddy," I said.

He stepped back and surprised me when he leaned down to kiss Arizona's cheek and briefly hug her as well. It must have surprised Arizona as well. Surprise flashed across her face before a look of satisfaction replaced it.

"I expect you home sometime in the near future," he said to me when they parted. He glanced at Arizona. "Both of you. Your mother is dying to meet Arizona."

"Si, Papi," I answered with a slight blush at the thought of Arizona and I traveling together. But the thought was pleasant, not frightening.

"That wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be," Arizona commented once we were on they way back to my apartment.

"Hmm, it wasn't, was it?" I said, concentrating on the road in front of us as I drove. "he behaved himself, which surprised me. He never did that for anyone else I was dating."

Arizona chuckled. "That's because they weren't as charming as I am."

"Pretty much," I agreed.

"Hey," Cristina greeted us as we walked into the apartment. I'd commissioned her to watch Liliana tonight and since Owen was working the night shift, she'd agreed. "So you're still alive," she said when she saw Arizona.

"It was pretty painless," Arizona said, stifling a yawn. I knew she had to be tired given that she'd been paged to the hospital at four this morning and I doubt she's slept since.

"Why don't you go ahead and go to bed," I said, nuzzling her neck. "I know you have to be exhausted. I'm going to check on Liliana then I'll be there."

She shook her head. "I'll check on her with you," she said. "If you don't mind."

I grinned. "I don't mind at all."

I heard gagging noises coming from behind us as we walked towards Liliana's room. I looked over my shoulder at Cristina and stuck my tongue out at her before we entered the darkened nursery.

I looked down at the sleeping Liliana and smiled at the sight of her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Arizona stood by my side, an arm wrapped around my waist as she looked on with me.

"I don't know if it's too soon to say or even think this," she said softly, still staring at my daughter. "But I can't help but think of her as more than just 'yours.' It's like… she's 'ours.'" She ducked her head a bit as I stared at her in shock. "I mean, I'm not trying to replace George at all. He'll always be her father and he would have made an amazing dad. But… I don't know. I just feel… this maternal instinct for Liliana that I've never felt before." She paused, as if she just realized that she was saying everything out loud. "And now you must think I'm insane."

She started to step back to leave when I didn't say anything for a few seconds, but I stopped her by tightening my arm around her shoulders and brining her to stand in front of me. I cupped her chin to force her to look at me. Her nervousness faded when she noted the look of awe on my face and the tears shining in my eyes.

"I don't know if it's too soon," I started, "but I don't really care." I kissed her softly. "You have no idea how much that means to me. That you care about her so much. Because I could never stay with someone that didn't love her as if she were their own."

A tear escaped its precious grip and fell down my cheek. Arizona wiped it away with the back of her index finger and glanced back down at Liliana, her own tears threatening.

"I have to admit," she said softly. "I kind of resented her at first. Before I decided to give you a chance anyway, which was the smartest decision I've ever made, by the way. But it only took five minutes with her that day the three of us spent together and I was hooked." She looked back up at me. "You're an amazing mom, Calliope, and I was so afraid that I wouldn't make a good parent, but I've already learned so much from you. I'm sure I'll have my moments of freaking out, but I know you'll always be there to help me through them."

I smiled. "Of course I will," I said. "I love you."

She returned my smile. "I love you, too."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

"Oh, come on, Torres," I heard Mark urge as I walked towards the table where he and Calliope sat in the cafeteria. It had been two weeks since the dinner with Calliope's dad and our emotional conversation in Liliana's nursery.

"I'm not saying a word, Mark," Calliope countered, making me wonder what he was trying to get out of her.

"I'm all alone in this world, Callie. Throw me a bone!"

"What bone?" I asked casually as I sat next to Calliope. I loved the way her eyes lit up as I joined them. She immediately leaned in to kiss my cheek.

"Oh, Mark's just being Mark," she said with an eye roll. "How's your day been?"

"Long," I answered with a grimace. I'd been paged to the hospital early this morning and haven't had more then five minutes rest until now. I was already exhausted and still had six more hours of my shift. "You?"

"Boring," she pouted. "I've been in the pit all day. Oh, I almost forgot. Mark, what are you doing tonight?"

He shrugged. "Nothing because, like I said, I'm all alone in this world."

"Oh, hush," Calliope said with another eye roll. "Lexie's visiting her sister in Boston. She'll be back in a week, you big baby."

Mark grumbled.

"Anyway, you're going to watch Liliana tonight," Calliope commanded. I looked at her in confusion.

"I am?"

"Yep."

"Why is Mark watching Liliana?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," she said, giving nothing away. "Just be at my place at seven, okay?"

I nodded. "Sure, I can do that. But what's going on?"

Another eye roll. "It's called a surprise for a reason. I've told Cristina to scram fort he night, Liliana will be at Mark's and I'm making you dinner. That's all I'm telling you for now. Seven o'clock sharp."

A pager sounded.

"It's mine," Calliope said. "Seven o'clock," she reiterated as she stood.

"Alright, alright. Seven. I'll be there."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! You've stuck with me this long, so you must be enjoying this. Sadly, I think that Chapter 15 (the next chapter) may be the last (or second to last - haven't decided yet) part of this particular fic. I'm getting kind of worn on it and the comments are slowing down drastically, so I think y'all are, too. Anyway, no final decisions have been made yet, but I wanted to let y'all know what was up. I have another idea for a fic, but don't want to start it until I finish this. Or, I may take a much-needed break from writing for a while after this is finished. We'll see. Thanks so much for reading! : )


	16. Chapter 15

**Title:** Just Because (15/?)

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ and Grey's Fanfiction aimoo)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-betad, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I gave myself one last look in the mirror before slipping on a pair of high heels and exiting my bedroom.

"Cristina!" I yelled in aggravation when I saw my roommate sitting at the kitchen bar eating a bowl of Fruit Loops. "You're supposed to be on call tonight!"

She looked at me and groaned. "I switched with Karev," she said. "You're going to be doing dirty things in here tonight, aren't you?"

Annoyed, I planted my hands on my hips. "Yes," I said matter-of-factly, know that was a surefire way to get her to leave. "I plan on wining and dining her before we move to the bedroom-"

"I don't wanna know!" Cristina yelled, placing her hands over her ears. "I'm spending the night at Mer's." With that, she placed her bowl in the sink and raced into her room. Minutes later, she hurried out of the apartment without a backward glance, her backpack thrown over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Cristina!" I called out triumphantly. The slamming door was my only response.

I immediately went about lighting the dozens of candles I'd placed strategically around the living room. I nearly knocked over a lit candle from my shaking hand. I was nervous.

Five minutes to seven, I put the finishing touches on the meal that I'd come to think of as 'ours.' Chicken Piccata, of course. I timed it perfectly so that I was pouring the wine when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," I called out, already knowing it was Arizona. Even her knock was perky.

The door opened and I was greeted with a stunning sight. Arizona entered the apartment wearing a strapless emerald green silk dress that fell to her knees and plunged low to reveal an ample amount of cleavage. She'd paired it with metallic gold high heeled sandals and gold jewelry. Her hair was down, soft curls framing her face.

"Oh, good," she said when she saw me. "I was afraid I'd over-dressed."

I shook my head, still unable to speak. I'd chosen a simple black cocktail dress that fell several inches above my knees and hugged me in just the right places to accent my curves. The halter neckline also plunged low and left my upper back completely bare. I'd kept it simple and paired it with simple black, peek-toe heels. Diamond stud earrings and the diamond bracelet my grandmother had given me on my sixteenth birthday were the only jewelry I wore.

"You look… amazing," I finally said when I found my voice again.

Arizona blushed slightly as she made her way over to me and gave me a kiss hello. "So do you," she whispered. "Do I get my surprise now?" She looked up at me with the classic 'puppy dog eyes.'

I chuckled. "Not yet," I replied. "First, dinner."

"Nuh uh. Dinner is second," Arizona said as she pressed her front to mine and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I've barely seen you all day. I want a kiss before anything else."

I grinned and pressed my lips to hers, purposefully keeping the kiss chaste to tease her. I pulled back and smiled. "There," I said. "Can we eat dinner now?" I started to step back but was stopped by Arizona's vice-like hold around my neck.

"I don't think so, Calliope," she purred before capturing my lips with hers and pressing herself more fully against me. I groaned in surrender. Who am I kidding? I'll never be able to resist her, I thought as my arms wrapped around her tiny waist.

Her soft lips parted against mine and her tongue caressed mine just as her hand traveled down to settle on my hip. Her other hand threaded into my hair, messing up the carefully curled strands, but I didn't care. I could think of nothing but the woman kissing me, pressed tightly against me. Even with the height difference, we just seemed to fit perfectly against one another.

Arizona pulled back, earning a moan of protest from me. She grinned mischievously. "_That_ is a kiss, Calliope. Now we can eat dinner." She started towards the kitchen.

I shook my head and followed with what I'm sure is a rather silly grin on my face. I couldn't help it. I'm smitten.

"Alright," I said once we'd eaten dinner and had a few glasses of wine. We were now settled on the couch. I took a deep breath in an attempt to steady my nerves. "So, my dad reinstated my trust fund, so this is for you," I said, picking up an envelope that sat on the table and handing it to her. "It's a check repaying you for the money you pretty much forced me to take."

She sighed. "You don't have to, Calliope. I was happy to help."

"Just take it," I pleaded. "I don't like being in debt to anyone, even if you wanted to help. I'm grateful that you were there for me and Liliana and I have to pay you back. Please?"

Arizona finally nodded. "Fine," she muttered. "Was that my surprise?"

I laughed. "No," I answered. "This is." I reached for another envelope, this one a 9x12 and a lot heftier.

Arizona looked at me in confusion as she opened the envelope. "What are these?" she asked, pulling out the numerous papers inside.

"When my dad told me he was reinstating my trust fund, he pretty much demanded that I start using it more." I rolled my eyes, remembering him telling me that it was there for a reason and that I should actually use it this time. "So, I've decided to buy a house." I took the real estate papers from her and turned to a specific page that highlighted a lovely two-story house that I had instantly fallen in love with.

"That's great, Calliope!" Arizona exclaimed, taking the papers and studying the house. "Four bedroom, three and a half bath, fully finished basement, on a two-acre plot of land… it's perfect for you and Liliana."

I cleared my throat. "It is," I said as she looked over the papers in front of her. "I haven't seen it in person, yet, but if it's anything like described, I'm sure I'll love it. But, Arizona, I don't think you understand. I…I want you there, too. All the time."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I studied the house on the paper in front of me, excited for Calliope and Liliana.

"I don't think you understand," I heard Calliope say. "I…I want you there, too. All the time."

It took a moment for her words to sink in. I looked up in confusion, thinking I'd heard her wrong. "What?"

Calliope took the papers from me and set them on the table before taking both my hands in hers. "I know we've only been together a little over six months, but you practically live here anyway. I mean, how often do you even go to your apartment anymore?"

I shrugged. "Not much, but buying a house…"

"I'm not asking you to buy a house with me. I'm going to buy a house and I want you to move in with me. You don't have to invest any money in it at all."

"I couldn't do that, Calliope," I insisted. "I-"

"Don't say you can't because you'd feel like you were mooching off me or something crazy like that. I'm going to buy a house no matter what you decide, so there's no sense in you spending your hard-earned money on one. Not when I have money that's been handed to me just sitting in the bank."

"Calliope," I started to protest again. "I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with it," I said. I chewed my bottom lip, unsure of what to say. I'd love nothing more that to live with Calliope and Liliana. To know that I'd get to wake up to Calliope every morning and go home to her every night.

"Let me ask you this," Calliope said. "If I were to ask you to move in here or to get another apartment with me, would you?"

I didn't even have to think about my answer to that. It was something I'd thought about a lot recently. "Yes," I said without hesitating.

"So, why is this different?" Calliope asked.

"It just is," was all I could manage. I returned my gaze to the papers still in my hands.

I heard Calliope sigh heavily as she stood and began pacing, muttering under her breath in a mixture of English and Spanish.

I stood and grabbed her hand to stop her. "Calliope, stop it," I ordered.

She sighed and turned to me. "I understand your hesitation," she said. "I really do. But money has pretty much ruined every serious relationship I've ever had. Either the person I was with just wanted my money or they resented it. I used to hide the fact that my family's wealthy because I didn't want it to be an issue, but that usually came back to bite me in the ass. I was up front with you from the beginning because I didn't want it to be an issue down the road, but it still is. I want to purchase a house so my daughter will have a backyard to play in and… and a _home_. I want you there because… because when I think of a home, I picture you there with us. I've finally found a good thing to do with my family's money-give Liliana a nice home to grow up in. And I want you there. I need you there."

I was at a loss for word, a rarity for me, and I could see Calliope begin to panic after a few seconds of my silence. So I did the only think I could think of; I placed my hands on both of her cheeks and pressed my lips softly to hers in a reassuring kiss.

"This means a lot to you, doesn't it?" I asked a few seconds later having finally found my voice.

She nodded. "It means everything," she whispered.

I closed my eyes and placed my head on her shoulder, holding her tightly against me. I felt her arms wrap around me. I felt entirely comfortable in her arms. Safe, secure. Happy.

"I'll agree on one condition," I said and looked up and into her chocolate brown eyes. "My name can't be on anything."

She started to protest, but I shook my head.

"That's the only way I'll agree, Calliope," I said.

She sighed and ducked her head down to kiss me. "You drive a hard bargain," she said against my lips. "But I'll take it."

Suddenly, the full realization of what was happening dawned on me. Calliope and I were moving in together. Into a house! I couldn't stop the huge smile from forming on my lips. "So, you're buying a house? And we're going to live together? Officially?"

She mirrored my smile. "Uh huh. What are you doing tomorrow? It's your day off, right?"

I nodded. "I have no plans yet."

"I don't have any surgeries scheduled and only need to do rounds. I should be out of there by two. What do you say we go house hunting?"

I grinned. "We can start with this one," I said, picking up the papers on the table that were flipped open to the house I'd been looking at before.

"Awesome."

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

"What do you think?" I asked Arizona after the real estate lady had given us a tour of the house and then excused herself to give us time to discuss. I was already in love with it. It wasn't too big, yet spacious enough to raise a family and have an army of pets. The back yard was huge and featured a large deck and an in ground pool. I was already scoping out where to place a hot tub. I loved the finished basement and the master suit was incredible. I loved everything about the house, but it was important to me that Arizona love it, too.

"It's not up to me, Calliope," Arizona said. "You're the one buying."

I rolled my eyes. "I may be footing the bill, Arizona, but make no mistakes. This will be _our _house. _Our _home. Not mine. Ours. It matters what you think about this house because you'll be here, too. So, tell me what you think about it."

Arizona sighed, but grinned. "I love it, Calliope," she said, gripping my hand in hers. "It's perfect."

I smiled as the real estate lady, Brenda, returned to where we stood in the kitchen with a stack of papers in her hand. "So, what do you think?" she asked us with a smile.

"We love it," I answered with another smile. "When can we move in?"

"Callie, you have too much crap."

I glared at Cristina over the top of the box I was carrying into the house. I'd recruited help moving in the form of Mark and Owen, who had somehow convinced Cristina to help as well. I placed the box marked 'medical journals' on the floor in the living room.

"Don't worry, Cristina," I said with a saccharine grin. "I know it's going to be hard and you're going to miss me something awful, but we'll still see each other at work. And I'm always just a phone call away."

"Bite me," Cristina said from the doorway as she unceremoniously dropped a box marked 'linens' onto the floor. "You an blondie are really moving in together, huh?"

I glanced up at Cristina from my crouched position next to the box of journals. "Yep," I answered.

Cristina looked like she was about to say something when Arizona entered the room carrying box. "Calliope, you have too much crap."

Cristina looked at me. "Told you." She walked back outside to grab another box.

Arizona rolled her eyes, haven gotten used to Cristina's cryptic way of communication and ventured further into the room. She put the box down next to me and fell back onto the couch that was momentarily placed in the middle of the room. "Moving is tiring," she said. "I should know. I moved a lot when I was growing up. I now remember why I hated it so much."

"Hmm, and we haven't started on your apartment yet," I reminded her as I knelt next to the couch and laid my head on her stomach. Since Arizona's lease on her apartment wasn't up for another two months, we'd decided to move all my stuff first, then gradually move Arizona's things in. "Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?" Arizona asked, playing with the ends of my hair.

I lifted my head and looked her in the eye. "For everything," I answered. "I love you."

Arizona smiled. "I love you, too. Calliope. And there's no need to thank me. It was _all _my pleasure."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

"Calliope, I'm tired," I wined and gave Calliope my best 'puppy dog eyes,' knowing she could never resist them.

"There's only three more boxes," Calliope said. "Well, for the bedroom. There's still ten or so boxes left for the kitchen and living room. Let's just finish the bedroom and then we'll have a glass of wine to celebrate."

I sighed. "Alright," I pouted. "But you owe me."

Calliope grinned as she opened the next box. "How are you going to demand payment?"

I smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

We unpacked the rest of the three boxes, made up the bed with our new sheets and duvet cover and put away all of Calliope's clothes. "The only thing missing is the rest of your things and your clothes," she said. I'd only brought what clothing I had a Calliope's place for now.

"I'll start bringing some things gradually this week," I said wrapping my arms around her neck. "Now, the boxes are unpacked. I believe you owe me some wine and repayment."

Calliope leaned down and brushed her lips over mine, holding the kiss for several seconds. I groaned when I felt her mouth open and her tongue glide along my lips. I pulled back slightly. "I'm not that easy," I said. "I want my wine."

She laughed and took my hand, dragging me along behind her toward the kitchen. She pulled out two wine glasses from the still-unpacked box on the counter and quickly rinsed them out. While she was doing that, I grabbed the bottle of wine out of the refrigerator and opened it. I poured a small amount into the glasses Calliope sat on the counter. Enough to toast the new house and our love, but not enough to get us buzzed or anything. Liliana was in our care, after all.

"To _our_ home," Calliope said, holding up her glass.

"To our home," I repeated, adoring the smile that played on Calliope's lips at the words. We clinked our glasses together and sipped, savoring the exquisite taste of the red wine. I grabbed her free hand and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch and pulled me down next to her. I set my glass on the side table and snuggled against her side. "The house really is amazing, Calliope."

Her arm wrapped around my shoulders. "It is, isn't it?" She set her own glass down and reached across my legs, pulling them across her thighs. I sighed in content, never wanting to leave our warm little cocoon.

"Do you… think we'll be together in ten years?" I asked, the question having been on my mind since Calliope insisted that this would be _our_ house.

"Yes," Calliope without any hesitation.

I lifted my head from her shoulder and grinned up at her. "You didn't even have to think about that?"

She shook her head slightly. "I wouldn't have asked you to move in with us if I didn't think this was a long-term kinda deal. I'm confident we'll still be together ten years from now and even longer, Arizona Robbins. Because I love you and I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with you."


	17. Chapter 16 The FINAL Chapter

**Title**: Just Because (16/16) - FINAL CHAPTER!

**Author: **iheartcallietorres (laurenxx3 on LJ and The Grey's Fanfiction Board)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary: **AU - What if Callie had already had a child when Arizona had kissed her in the bathroom at Joe's? Knowing what we know now, how will Arizona react when she finds out that not only is Callie a 'newborn,' she _has_ a newborn?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N 2:** Alright, folks! This is it! The last installment of _Just Because_. It's been a long journey and I've really enjoyed writing this and reading how much y'all love this, too. Y'all are the best! I'm dedicating this last chapter to my lovely BABs. You know who you are. Thanks for all the love and support as I've written this, especially to my girl, Becca. I'd have been completely lost at times without your creative ideas and endless support through _everything_. : ) I love you all!

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

Things were pretty quiet the next several of months. Liliana was growing like a weed. She said her first word about a week after we moved into our house. I'd been egging her on to say "mama" for several weeks. Her first word? "Donut."

I shook and grinned my head at the memory. Arizona had raised her hands in victory and danced a little dance. I had glared at her at first, but was so overwhelmed that my baby girl had said her first word that I couldn't stay annoyed.

Two months after that, Liliana had taken her first unsure steps.

My baby was growing up.

Arizona and I were also going strong. Our relationship unfolded pretty naturally after I admitted to Arizona, and myself, that I was in this for the long run. Shortly after, I had purchased a ring.

And, unbeknownst to me, so had Arizona. She'd beaten me to proposing by two days. I had planned to do it on a Saturday that we both had off, but she'd popped the question the Thursday before, presenting me with an almost identical ring. The only difference between the two rings was that I'd gotten her a yellow gold one and she'd gotten me one of white gold.

Arizona had dropped onto one knee one night after we'd put Liliana down for the evening and asked me to be her wife.

I hadn't been able to hold back the laugh that bubbled out of me. Arizona had looked a little panicked until I dropped to my knees in front of her and pulled out the ring that I'd kept stashed in my pocked since I had purchased it. Understanding had dawned on Arizona the moment she saw the ring nestled in the palm of my hand.

We started planning our wedding the next day.

Of course, we realized that same-sex marriage wasn't recognized by the state of Washington, but we agreed that a commitment ceremony was more than enough for us. We would file for a domestic partnership at that time and, if in the future Washington decided to recognize gay marriage, we'd "legally" marry. But the commitment ceremony would be what we considered our true wedding day.

I called my mother the next day to tell her the news. Though my family had come around, I was still unsure of how they'd respond to the news that I was marrying a woman.

My mother surprised me. "It's about time, mija," she said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"The first time I spoke to you after your father finally came to his senses I could already tell you had fallen hard for Arizona," she told me.

I hadn't known how to respond to that and was thankful when my mother changed the subject.

It was also decided that the ceremony would take place in Miami at my parents' house, the same house I'd spent the first 18 years of my life. Much of Arizona's family was in the Southeast and all of my family was in Miami, so it would be easier to get everyone together there rather than in Seattle.

So the main ceremony would be in Miami, but we agreed to have a small reception back in Seattle when we returned for people who couldn't make it to Miami.

My mother went into mother of (one of) the bride(s) mode and took over the planning. Which neither Arizona nor I minded. Planning a wedding was a lot of work, which we didn't have much of these days.

We arrived in Miami a week before the ceremony. It was Arizona's first time actually meeting my family. Other than my father, that is. She'd talked on the phone to my mother and sister several times, however, just as I had talked to Arizona's parents a few times a week.

My father sent a car to pick us up at the airport and we rode to the house, anticipation high for both of us.

"Nervous?" I asked Arizona, noticing her fidgeting with her blouse. I wanted to comfort her, but Liliana's car seat, which my father had already had secured in the back seat, was between us.

Arizona looked over at me, a slightly panicked look one her face before she could hide it with a more neutral one. "Uh, no. No, I'm good," she said. "Just… hot. It's a lot hotter here than in Seattle."

"I'm nervous, too," I reassured her.

Arizona sighed. "Okay, I'm nervous," she mumbles.

I reached across the car seat where Liliana was fast asleep and took a hold of her hand, gripping it tightly in reassurance. "They already love you, Arizona. How could they not?"

She gave a small smile just as we pulled into the circular driveway of my childhood home. "Whoa," she said in awe when she saw the massive structure. "You grew up _here_?"

"Yeah," I muttered. I busied myself getting Liliana out of the car seat.

"Callie!" I heard a screech coming from behind me. I turned and came face to face with a younger version of me in the form of my sister, Aria.

I broke into a huge smile and handed Liliana to Arizona just before I was nearly bowled over by my little sister.

I laughed and hugged her back. "I missed you, too," I said. I really had. Twelve years my junior, I'd been old enough when she'd been born to appreciate having a little sister. Yes, we fought as all siblings do, but she and I had a special bond while I'd still lived at home. That bond had weakened over the years of our separation, but we were still close.

She finally let me go and glared at me. "That's because you _never _come home anymore! It's no fun around here without you!"

"Sorry," I mumbled sheepishly.

But Aria ignored me and turned to face Arizona, who had come to stand next to me, still cradling Liliana in her arms. Aria gave Arizona the once over, looking her up and down, hands on her hips. "So, you're the one who finally managed to sink her metaphorical claws into my sister, huh?" she asked, her tone serious with a hint of malice.

I saw Arizona's eyes widen in surprise and she shot me a pleading glace.

"Oh, stop it, Aria," I commanded. "She's already nervous as it is."

Aria shrugged. "Sorry," she said before stepping forward to enveloped a surprised Arizona in a warm hug, careful of Liliana still in her arms. "Welcome to the family," Aria said when she stepped back, a smile on her lips. "Sorry if I scared you. I do that to all the newbies. Gotta make sure they can handle the Torres clan."

"The… Torres Clan?" Arizona questioned, still looking nervous.

"Don't listen to her," I assured, shooting Aria a warning glare. She'd always loved to pick on the people I dated. "You'll be fine."

Aria rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Liliana. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she reached for the small child. "There's my niece!" she exclaimed, cradling the baby to her chest. "You've gotten so big! Last time I saw you, you were only a few days old."

Liliana cooed and reached out to tangle her hand in Aria's long black hair, letting out a laugh when Aria winced.

"Atta girl," I teased, but reached out to help untangle her hand. "That's why I wear my hair tied back whenever I hold her," I said with a chuckle. "Oh, and don't wear dangly earrings either. She'll go right for them. Right, Arizona?"

Arizona nodded, automatically reaching up to massage her still tender earlobe.

"Come on," Aria said. "Mama and Daddy are waiting inside."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I don't think I've ever been inside a house so huge before. I'll be lucky if I don't get lost at some point, I thought in awe as we stepped inside. A man I didn't recognize took our things, saying that he'd put them in our room for us. I smiled graciously at him, trying to act like I was used to this.

I had known Calliope came from money. Just how much, though, I had been unaware. The house was massive, but no lacking in personal touches. It was not cold and unfriendly. Rather, the décor was warm and inviting. Family photos lined the walls of the long hallway we traveled down, Calliope gripping my hand tightly.

Aria, still holding Liliana, led us to a large room that I determined was an office of sorts because of the large, mahogany desk that I immediately identified as Calliope's father's. There was a sitting area with several chairs and a couch across the room, where the older couple sat close together, talking quietly. They did not hear us enter the room and only looked up when Aria cleared her throat.

I immediately recognized Carlos and was relieved when a smile spread across his face as he stood. He stepped forward, a tall, older version of Calliope right behind him. This had to be her mother.

"Calliope!" the woman exclaimed, pushing quickly past Carlos to rush forward and pull a well-prepared Calliope in a tight embrace.

"Hola, mama," I heard Calliope say. I smiled at the obvious close relationship between Calliope and her mother.

"How dare you stay away for so long!" her mother scolded playfully when she pulled away. "I hardly recognize you anymore!"

Calliope rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I'm sorry, mama," she said. She turned to me and smiled. "Mom, this is Arizona."

I smiled at the older woman and stuck out my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Torres."

Calliope's mom looked down at my hand, a mild look of disgust in her eyes and I felt my heart sink. "Oh, no," the woman said. "We hug in this family!" With that, I was pulled into a tight hug, surprising me and Calliope. I returned the hug, relaxing a bit. "And please, call me Gloria," she said as she stepped back.

I smiled, my nervousness completely disappearing. For now. The most nerve wracking part would be in a few days when the rest of Calliope's family arrived.

We all sat and conversation flowed easily. Gloria asked us about work and I couldn't help but brag about Calliope's recent medical marvels. She'd managed to create cartilage out of Jell-O; something the Bioengineers had deemed impossible. I was damn proud of my Calliope.

"Daddy, Arizona and I are both tired," Calliope said after about an hour. "We were planning on taking a nap before dinner."

"Okay, mija," Carlos said as we all stood, kissing her forehead. "You're in your old room. We haven't touched or moved anything since you left for school." I smiled, anxious to see where Calliope used to sleep. "Arizona, you'll be in the guestroom across the hall from Calliope."

I did my best not to show my disappointment. This was, after all, his house.

Calliope, however, did nothing to mask her feelings about it. "Daddy, that's ridiculous," she huffed.

"Calliope," he warned.

"We live together," Calliope pointed out. "You know that. We have for nearly six months. What? You think we sleep in separate rooms? Guess what? We don't. We sleep in the same bed every night and, you got it, we have sex! A lot!"

"Calliope!" I admonished, eyes wide and my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Well, it's true," Calliope said with a shrug.

I gave a nervous laugh, turning to a shocked Carlos and Gloria. "The guestroom will be perfectly fine," I said.

"But-"

I shot a warning glare at Calliope, effectively stopping her protest. "Thank you so much," I said to her parents, pulling Calliope out of the room. "We're gonna take that nap now."

"Dinner's at seven," Aria called out, already having deemed herself official babysitter to her niece through the next week.

I nodded and closed the door behind us. "Calliope! What the hell was that?" I hissed.

"What?" she asked. "It doesn't make any sense for us to have separate rooms," she insisted, leading me up the stairs and down the hallway. "They know we live together. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we share a room at home."

"But Calliope, this is your parents' house. If they don't want us sleeping in the same bed, then that's their choice. It's their house."

She stopped in front of a closed door and turned to me, hands on her hips. "_It's their house_? You weren't a very rebellious teenager, were you?"

I shrugged. "Not particularly."

Calliope sighed. "It's just…" She bit her lip in hesitation.

"What?" I prompted.

"I can't… sleep without you," she said. "Whenever you're working and I'm not, I can't sleep. Not until you get home. Remember the conference you went to a few months ago? The one in Cleveland where you were gone for three days?"

I nodded.

"I couldn't sleep then and that was only three days!"

I sighed and stepped forward, placing my arms around her waist and my head on her shoulder. "I have trouble sleeping without you, too, Calliope. But please try? I don't want to give your family any reason to not like me."

I felt her relax and wrap her arms around me. "It's… it's more that," she said softly after a few moments. She stepped back and looked me in the eye. "I just, have this fear, this deep, internal fear that they aren't as okay as they claim to be about all this."

"What?" I asked, my voice softening. "About you being with another woman?"

She nodded. "I'm probably being paranoid," she said, running a hand through her unruly hair and casting her gaze downward. "I mean, they're planning the wedding and even offered to let us use the back yard…" She trailed off.

"Hey," I said, forcing her to look at me. "It's only normal for you to have doubts. It took me a long time to know for certain that my parents were okay with it. But for what it's worth, I really believe your parents just want you to be happy. Especially your dad. Did you see the pride his expression when we were discussing your cartilage?"

That made her smile and I stood up on tiptoe to kiss her lightly. "They love you, Calliope," I said softly, my arms twining around her neck. "Just like I do. Just like your friends do. So, we'll survive this week because after Saturday, we'll be married and there's nothing anyone can do to keep me from walking down that isle with you." I looked up at her. "Okay?"

She nodded while taking a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "But I don't have to like it," she grumbled. "But this doesn't mean that we're going an entire week without sex, right?"

I tilted my head, pretending to consider the possibility. "Hmm," I said. "A whole week of no sex _would_ lead to an amazing wedding night…"

"Arizona Marie Robbins," Calliope said. I winced slightly at the use of my full name. "You cannot possibly expect me to-"

"Oh, relax, Calliope!" I admonished. "As if I could keep my hands off you for three days, let alone an entire week." I grinned. "Now, I want to see the room you grew up in."

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I was less than thrilled to be sleeping in separate rooms. Actually, I was downright angry. Of course, that could be because it was three o'clock in the morning and I had yet to get to sleep.

I sighed and shifted in the bed, rolling onto my side and staring at the empty spot beside me. I hadn't been kidding when I said I always had trouble sleeping without Arizona by my side. I know it's sad and kind of pathetic, but it's true.

I groaned in frustration and threw back the covers, threw on a robe and left my room. I thought briefly about going to Arizona's room, but decided instead to go to the kitchen. Growing up, whenever I couldn't sleep, I'd always go to the kitchen, pour a glass of milk and steal a homemade cookie.

I did just that and sat at the table, nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie and thinking about how lucky I was to have found Arizona.

"Still stealing my cookies, I see," I heard from the doorway, causing me to jump.

"Jeez, ma!" I coughed, choking on the sip of milk I'd just taken.

"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you, mija," my mother said, sitting next to me, patting my back softly.

"It's okay," I said. I eyed her. "You knew I used to steal cookies in the middle of the night?"

"When you couldn't sleep," she said, nodding. "That's why I always had them around. And why I made a fresh batch this morning."

I smiled.

"Why can't you sleep, mija?" she asked, pushing my hair over my shoulder.

I sighed. "You'll think it's stupid," I muttered, looking down at my half-eaten cookie and nearly empty glass of milk.

"Try me," she said.

I bit my lip and took a deep breath. "It's just… I can't sleep without her. It's pathetic, I know, but I can't, so… yeah. That's why I'm sitting here eating cookies when I should be sleeping."

My mother sighed. "Your father has his reasons, you know."

"Hmm," I grunted.

"He's fully come around, you know. He may not completely understand, but he just wants you to be happy and it's obvious that you are. But Calliope, you know that it would be no different if Arizona were a man. You'd still have separate rooms. Until you were married. Just like Aria did when she brought Kyle home to meet us a few months ago." Kyle was Aria's boyfriend of three years. "It has nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman."

I looked at my mom and saw the seriousness and honesty in her expression. "I… hadn't thought of it like that." Actually, when I thought about it, I did remember Aria complaining to me on the phone that she and Kyle had separate rooms. I sighed. "That still doesn't change the fact that I can't sleep," I murmured.

She chuckled, standing and leaning down to give me a hug. She kissed the top of my head. "I don't know how to help you there, mija. Just don't worry about your father. He loves you and Arizona. And you know that precious little girl of yours has him wrapped around her tiny little finger."

I laughed, remembering the way he'd played with Liliana today. He was a natural with babies. "Thanks, ma," I said. "You should get back to bed."

She nodded and left. I finished my milk and cookie quickly and returned to my own room. I crawled under the covers and felt my body relax. After talking with my mother, sleep came a lot easier. I was asleep within minutes.

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

"Calliope," I cooed into her ear. "Time to wake up."

"Don't wanna," came her muffled reply.

"Wakey, wakey, Calliope Torres," I said a little louder. I pulled at the covers, revealing her sleep attire-a tank top and shorts.

She finally rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. They popped open and immediately sought out the clock on her bedside table. She groaned when she saw that it was eight thirty in the morning. "Ugh, I need more sleep, Arizona," she groaned, attempting to pull the covers back up.

"Oh, no, you don't," I said. "You already slept through breakfast and I let you because your mother told me you had a hard time falling asleep last night, but we have to get a move on. We have a fitting at ten and then we have an appointment with the catering company. So get up!"

She groaned again, but sat up. "Alright, alright. Coffee. Need coffee."

"I'll get you some, just start getting ready, okay?" I kissed her softly. "And I missed you last night."

She whimpered. "I missed you, too," she said against my lips. I started to leave, but she stopped me, pulling me down to sit on the edge of the bed. Her lips brushed mine again before she captured my lips in a breath taking kiss. I moaned softly, which she echoed as my hands slid around to the back of her neck.

"I _really_ missed you," she said, pulling back slightly.

I smiled. "Me, too," I said. "Now get ready and I'll bring you some coffee, okay?"

She nodded and I left to get said coffee.

"She awake?" Aria asked as I entered the kitchen where she and Gloria were waiting.

I nodded. "I had to promise coffee," I said. "But she's up."

"When are your parents coming?" Aria asked as I poured a cup of coffee, already feeling at home in the large house.

"Wednesday," I replied. "Are you sure they can stay here?" I asked Gloria while adding cream and sugar to Calliope's coffee. "I mean, they said it's not a problem for them to stay in a hotel and you'll have all of your family here as well…"

Gloria chuckled. "Arizona, this house is big enough for everyone, dear. It's just your parents. The rest of your family is just driving down the day of the wedding, right?"

I nodded. "My aunt and uncle are planning on staying for a while afterwards, but they already have reservations at a resort somewhere."

"Then it's settled. Your parents are more than welcome here. I'm looking forward to meeting them. Now, take that to Calliope and tell her to get a move on. We have to leave in twenty minutes."

"I'm ready, ma," I heard Calliope say from the doorway. I smiled as she entered the room, kissing her mother on the cheek before joining me, eyeing the coffee in my hands with want. I chuckled and handed her the cup, which she took and inhaled deeply. "Thanks," she said. She smiled at Liliana who was nestled comfortably in Aria's arms.

We left shortly after, our day full of appointments and fittings. Calliope had tried to make her mother keep things simple, but hadn't had the heart to tell her that it was too much. I didn't really mind, though. I've always dreamed of a bit white wedding.

"I'm so exhausted," Calliope said as she fell onto the couch once we arrived back at the house. We'd been out all day having met Carlos for dinner before returning.

I grinned, sitting close and nuzzling her behind her ear. "Too tired for a walk on the beach?" I asked. I was amazed and delighted to learn that about a mile behind the house was a half-mile stretch of private beach.

"Only as long as you wear that new bikini," she murmured into my ear.

I laughed. "Deal."

* * *

_[Callie's POV]_

I was grateful that our families seemed to get along. My mother and Arizona's seemed to bond instantly and immediately began discussing the wedding. I'd talked to Arizona's parents, Daniel and Traci, so many times that it was like I'd already met them. Even though it was our first in-person meeting, there was no awkwardness at all, for which Arizona and I were both grateful.

I still had trouble sleeping without Arizona by my side, but less so after my chat with my mother.

The morning of the wedding, Arizona and I didn't even see each other. We both thought it was a little ridiculous, but both of our mothers insisted on keeping up the tradition. So we humored them.

So Arizona left with her mom before I'd even woken up. My mother cooked me a big breakfast, but I was so nervous I couldn't eat much of it.

I stood at the kitchen window, observing the backyard that now had about a hundred chairs facing the elegant handmade arch that was covered in purple lilies. In less than six hours I would be walking down that isle to marry the love of my life.

"Calliope," I heard my father's voice from the door behind me. I turned to see him standing there, already dressed in his nicest suit, looking nervous. "Can I speak with you privately?"

I nodded, following him down the hallway towards his office. He shut the door behind him and led me to sit on the couch. He sat across from me and studied me.

"What?" I asked after a minute, nervous.

"I've never seen you so happy before," he said quietly, his voice serious.

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. "I am happy, Daddy. Arizona… she's who I want to spend the rest of my life with. And…" I took a deep breath. "I really hope you're being sincere when you say that you're okay with that."

He nodded. "Your mother told me about your late night kitchen discussion the other night," he said. "I know I was a little rash at first."

"A little?" I couldn't help but ask.

He looked sheepish. "Okay, a lot. I was worried, Calliope."

"You don't have to worry about me, Daddy."

He smiled. "I will always worry about you. It's a dad thing. Just like you'll always worry about Liliana."

I nodded. "Thanks, Dad. For everything. It really mean a lot that you've accepted all this. It means everything, to me and Arizona."

"She's a good girl," he said. "Don't let her go."

"I don't plan on it."

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small box. "This was your grandmother's," he said. "And your mother wore it at our wedding." He opened the box to reveal a stunning necklace with hundreds of tiny diamonds and a brilliant blue sapphire that just so happened to be the exact color of Arizona's eyes.

"Dad," I breathed out. "It's… gorgeous."

He took the necklace out of the box and I turned to allow him to put it on, sweeping my hair to one side. He clasped it and I lifted my fingers to trace the delicate stones, tears coming to my eyes. At least my makeup hadn't been done yet. I turned back to face my father and saw the pride in his expression as he moved to hug me.

"I love you, mija," he said.

"I love you, too, Daddy."

* * *

_[Arizona's POV]_

I walked down the isle with my father by my side first, my stomach in knots with excitement. Today was the day that Calliope became my wife.

My father kissed my cheek and sat in the front row next to my mother. Calliope and her father appeared then and made their way down the isle towards me. I felt my breath catch in my throat at how beautiful she looked in her simple, yet elegant dress. She was miraculous. Breathtakingly stunning. I'll never be able to stop looking at her.

Our eyes connected as she walked down the isle and she broke into a big smile as her father "delivered" her to me, kissing her on the cheek. I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I love you," she mouthed. I felt tears well in my eyes. Good tears. Happy tears. I'd found the love of my life and I couldn't wait to begin our life together.

"I love you, too," I mouthed back before we turned to face the preacher.

He smiled at us and began to speak. "Dearly beloved…"


End file.
